Research Data Management

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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.