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: