Scholarly Communications Librarian
Crerar Library
5730 South Ellis Ave
773-702-7569
Eckhart Library
Eckhart Hall 217
1118 E. 58th Street
773-702-8778
Getting Started
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Digital Curation Centre How-To Guides and ChecklistsThe Digital Curation Centre in the UK have published How-To Guides that "background concepts and practical steps aiming to help people in research or support roles implement data management capabilities in their organisation, or better align them with best practices." Topics include developing a data management plan and depositing data.
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Data Management for Researchers by Call Number: QA76.8.M3 .B384 2015ISBN: 9781784270308Publication Date: 2015-09-01A comprehensive guide to everything scientists need to know about data management, this book is essential for researchers who need to learn how to organize, document and take care of their own data.
Library Buildings Are Closed
Defining Research Data Management
Research data management (or RDM) refers to the organization, storage, preservation, and sharing of research data created and used during a research project. It involves a researcher's everyday strategies for caring for their data (such as using consistent file naming conventions) and decisions concerning what to do with the data upon completion of a project (for example, depositing data in a disciplinary data repository for long-term access and archiving).
For a researcher, having an effective plan and approach for the management of their data is important for several reasons, including:
- Data (especially digital data) is fragile and easily lost.
- Good data management can save a researcher team time and resources in the long-run, making it easier to locate and understand data files.
- There are growing research data requirements imposed by funders and publishers.
- Good management helps to prevent errors and can increase the quality of analysis.
- Well-managed and accessible data allows others to validate and replicate findings.
- Data is a scholarly product and, when shared, well-managed data can lead to valuable discoveries by others outside of the original.
Get additional help
The University of Chicago Library can support you in your data management needs before, during, and after a research project. Please contact Nora Mattern, Scholarly Communications Librarian, to request a consultation.