Guidance for Researchers: Data Management
Image credits: Getty
Research Data Management (RDM) is an increasingly significant requirement from research funders and publishers with a commitment to making research, and the underpinning data, open and accessible. RDM is integral to good research practice.
Research Data Management involves the effective planning, collection, organisation, storage, preservation and, where possible, the sharing of data both during and beyond the lifespan of a research project. A key part of the role of the Research Integrity Officers is to provide advice and support when it is needed, and to signpost researchers to appropriate guidance. It is expected that this will be available from the Research Integrity page on iCity.
Research Data
You can deposit the data associated with your project in the repository by selecting Dataset as an output type, which will meet REF requirements. Your research funder or journal provider may also require that the data is held within their own repository. Further guidance can be found at the Research Council UK's Common Principles of Data Policy document.
You also need to consider Data Protection in order to comply with the law. Information on this can be found on Moodle.
BCU Research Integrity & Ethics
Each Faculty at BCU will provide guidance on the ethics approval process for a research proposal. You can link to many of the documents on iCity but will need to contact the ADM Ethics directly for information on their ethics approval process. Further information is available on research integrity at BCU here: https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/Research-Community/Research-integrity.
Funders' Requirements
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), formerly known as the Research Council, provides an overarching framework for individual Research Council policies on data management. This is the Research Council Common Principles on Data Policy.
Different funding agencies have differing Data Management requirements. The Digital Creation Centre (DCC) provides an overview of funders' requirements for UKRI funders and non-UKRI funders.
UKRI funders:
Data Management Planning
To help develop your Data Management Plan, the Digital Creation Centre (DCC) has developed a data management planning tool - DMPonline. It provides tailored guidance and examples to help researchers write data management plans for different funding organisations.
Go to DMPOnline and sign in or create an account (select Birmingham City University).
Sharing Data
The Research Council's Common Principles on Data Policy states: "Publicly funded research data are a public good, produced in the public interest, which should be made openly available with as few restrictions as possible in a timely and responsible manner."
Depositing your research data in a data archive or data repository will facilitate its discovery and preservation. It will also ensure the long-term preservation of your data for future access by you and other researchers. Research conducted at BCU should be deposited in the BCU Open Access Repository.
You may well need to anonymise your data before it can be shared. The following provide additional information and support in relation to anonymisation:
- UKAN (UK Anonymisation Network)
- UK Data Service
Course in Data Management
MANTRA is a free online course for those who manage digital data as part of their research project (developed by EDINA, a centre for digital expertise and online service delivery at the University of Edinburgh).
Work through self-paced online learning units covering the different aspects of data management, including data protection and security.
Research Data
You can deposit the data associated with your project in the repository by selecting Dataset as an output type, which will meet REF requirments. Your research funder or journal provider may also require that the data is held within their own repository. Further guidance can be found at the Research Council UK's Common Principles of Data Policy document.
You also need to consider Data Protection in order to comply with the law. Information on this can be found on moodle.