Research data management

Data management and storage

You have already drawn up a research data management plan (RDMP) for your research project. This document describes how you intend to collect, define, store, and share the data with others. You will update this document throughout your research, as managing data is a continuous process. You should always bear the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles in mind. You should also realize that good data management is not only important in terms of complying with the strict guidelines, but can also affect the impact that your research makes. Finally, it can be a decisive factor in whether or not you acquire research grants.

The privacy & security coordinator of your faculty and the Digital Competence Centre are your first point of contact for questions and support relating to data management.

Digital Competence Centre

The Digital Competence Centre supports researchers on issues regarding research data management and collecting, securely storing, processing, managing, sharing and archiving data."

Storing data

Depending on the volume and complexity of your data, the UG has various solutions for secure, smart data storage. Read more information and an explanation of the options for storing and sharing data securely.

More information per faculty

In recent years, software as research output has become more and more common. As such, it is important that you think about how your software is going to be made available, maintained, and supported during and after your research. This can apply to both smaller scripts, as well as larger and more complex programs. Writing a Research Software Management Plan (RSMP) is going to help you identify and think about what your software will need to succeed.

Support

If you need help either with filling out an RSMP or in finding the resources you need to research this topic further, please don't hesitate to contact the Digital Competence Centre (DCC) with your questions. They will be able to help you compile the plan, provide feedback on what you have already filled out, and point out relevant resources if you need more information.

Searching for and reusing secondary data

Researchers are increasingly being asked to store their research data in public archives in order to create transparency and contribute to new research. This can also benefit you as a researcher if you want to use secondary data from previous research as reference material for your own research. You should always check the rules first, and ask for help from the Digital Competence Centre, for example, or the privacy & security coordinator of your faculty.

Searching for secondary data  

Data relating to people, countries, and companies is stored in various databases. The Library Guide below tells you where to find these databases and how to process and cite data correctly in your research.

• Library Guide data

Reusing secondary data

If you plan to reuse previously collected data, including personal data, in your research, first decide whether you need permission and/or which information you should supply to those concerned.

• More information about privacy and data protection

More information per faculty

FAIR data 

Researchers are increasingly being asked to publish their research data externally, to make them visible and/or publish them publicly, as well as archiving them within the relevant university. You can share some or all of your research data in a repository, depending on the sensitivity and protection level. The basic principle at the UG is: ‘Share your research data as open as possible, and as closed as necessary’. The application of FAIR data principles, taking data protection and easy access for others into account, is the final step in the life cycle of your research data.  

Further information

Do you want to know more about placing research data in a repository? Or do you have a question about open access archiving and sharing research data? More information about publishing data is available on the page of the Digital Competence Centre. Please remember that procedures may differ per faculty, so contact the privacy & security coordinator at your Faculty.  

More information per faculty