Archiving your research data
Sarah Jones, HATII
s.jones@hatii.arts.gla.ac.uk
Why archive your data? (1)
Drivers:
OECD principles and guidelines for Access to Research Data from Public Funding:
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/9/61/38500813.pdf
RCUK statement on access to research outputs:
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/outputs/access/default.htm
“publicly funded research must be made available to the public and
remain accessible for future generations”
Publisher requirements e.g. Nature’s policy on availability of data and materials:
http://www.nature.com/authors/editorial_policies/availability.html
“A condition of publication in a Nature journal is that authors are required
to make materials, data and associated protocols promptly available to
others without preconditions. “
Why archive your data? (2)
Benefits:

So you can continue to access and understand your data in the future

To prevent loss or inaccessibility of valuable knowledge and data when
funding expires or people move on

So you can retrieve and share data if requested

To allow data to be shared and combined in new and innovative ways
“…because good research needs good data.”
Glasgow’s Code of Good Practice in Research
2.3 Documenting results and storing data

Researchers are required to keep clear and accurate records of the
procedures followed and results obtained, including interim results.

Data generated in the course of research must be kept securely in
paper and/or an appropriate electronic format.

The University expects such data to be securely held for a period of ten
years after the completion of a research project, unless otherwise
specified by the research funder or sponsor.
Ref: University of Glasgow, Code of Good Practice in Research
http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_46633_en.pdf
Preparing to archive data
Archiving is not the start!
Researchers are involved
in lots of activities that
come before archiving and
which influence what is
kept, for how long and for
what purpose.
Ref: The DCC Curation Lifecycle Model,
http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/curation-lifecycle-model
Outline of the talk
1. Planning your research
- data management and sharing plans
- support at Glasgow
2. Creating your data
- choosing software
- developing procedures
- documentation
3. Managing your data
- storage and backup
- access and security
4. Archiving your data
Data management and sharing plans
Ref: Overview of funders’ data policies
http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/policy-and-legal/overview-funders-data-policies
AHRC technical appendix
Project Management of technical aspects
- Management and reporting structure; timetable; deliverables; monitoring
Data Development Methods
- Content selection; chosen data/file formats; documentation; advice sought
Infrastructural Support
- Hardware / software; technical expertise; backup procedures
Data preservation and sustainability
- Preservation plans; advice sought; accessibility e.g. repository; sustainability
Access
- How you will make the resource accessible to the potential audience(s)
Copyright and intellectual property issues
- Advice sought; plans to address copyright / IPR issues
Ref: Section of Je-S form
BBSRC data sharing plan
Data areas and data types
Standards and metadata
Relationship to other data available in public repositories
Secondary use - further intended and/or foreseeable uses
Methods for data sharing - e.g. deposit in public databases or access on request
Proprietary data – restrictions on sharing to protect proprietary / patentable data
Timeframes for public release of the data
Format of the final dataset
Ref: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/publications/policy/data_sharing_policy.pdf p6
ESRC data archiving questions
1. If the research involves data collection or acquisition, please indicate how
existing datasets have been reviewed and state why currently available
datasets are inadequate for this proposed research.
2. Will the research proposed in this application produce new datasets?
3. It is a requirement to offer data for archiving. If you envisage any difficulties in
making data available for secondary research, please outline the difficulties.
4. Who are likely to be the potential users of the dataset?
5. Please outline the plans for and cost of preparing and documenting data for
archiving to the standards required by the ESDS.
Ref: http://www.esds.ac.uk/aandp/create/esrcfaq.asp
MRC data sharing statement
Type(s) of qualitative or quantitative data that will be generated
Further intended and/or foreseeable research uses for the dataset(s)
The distinctive added value that the new data would provide in relation to existing
studies, databases or datasets in the same field
Plans for preparing and documenting data for preservation and sharing
Strategy for making data available, including timelines
How data sharing would provide opportunities for coordination or collaboration
The arrangements for governance of data collection and usage: management of
consent, confidentiality, ethical and legal considerations and access rights.
Any exceptional arrangements to protect intellectual property
Ref: http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Ourresearch/Ethicsresearchguidance/
Datasharinginitiative/Policy/index.htm
Wellcome Trust data plan
Data quality and standards
- Formats; conformance to community standards, interoperability with other datasets
Use of public data repositories
- Expectation of deposit into recognised public data repositories where possible
Intellectual property
- Justify proposed delays on data sharing due to IPR
Protection of research participants
- Explain limitations on data sharing to safeguard the privacy of research participants
Long-term preservation and sustainability
- clearly set out the long-term strategy for maintaining, curating and archiving data
Ref: http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/About-us/Policy/Spotlight-issues/Datasharing/Data-management-and-sharing/WTX035045.htm
Grant proposal support at Glasgow
Local contacts to help with data plans and costings



RDOs, research support, lab technicians
computing services / Faculty IT
Faculty ethics officers
Research and Enterprise

Grant support: http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/researchandenterprise/forstaff/
grantsupportandfundingsources/

IPR guidance: http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/researchandenterprise/forstaff/
knowledgeexchangeandtechnologytransfer/intellectualpropertymanagement/
Forthcoming: Data plan support through JISC Incremental project
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/mrd/rdmi/incremental.aspx
Progress
1. Planning your research
- data management and sharing plans
- support at Glasgow
2. Creating your data
- choosing software
- developing procedures
- documentation
3. Managing your data
- storage and backup
- access and security
4. Archiving your data
Creating data for archiving and reuse
Considerations:

Can you choose standards / formats etc that are more sustainable?

What you want people to be able to do with the research data you
are generating?

What information will future users will need to understand the data –
how will you make sure this is captured?

Is there somewhere you can archive the data? If so, do they have
requirements / minimum standards you need to meet?
Key decisions at the creation stage
What software will you use?
- common, widely-used e.g. Microsoft office
- proprietary, very specialist (potential licensing issues? ability to export?)
- open-source software
UKDA preferred formats: http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/sharing/acceptable.asp
How will you create the data?
- do you have a naming system e.g. initials and dates to link data to lab notebooks
- how will you handle versioning so you know what’s most up-to-date?
- where will data be stored?
- what happens in exceptions e.g. if you need to work off the network
JISC digital media file-name guidance: http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/crossmedia/
advice/choosing-a-file-name/
Metadata and documentation
What information is needed to interpret the data?

descriptions of all variables / fields and their values

code labels, classification schema, abbreviations list

details about how the data were created, analysed, anonymised

information about the project and data creators

tips on usage e.g. exceptions, quirks, questionable results
Are there standards you can use?

Dublin Core

ISAD (G)

DDI (Data Documentation Initiative)
UKDA guidance on documentation: http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/sharing/metadata.asp
Progress
1. Planning your research
- data management and sharing plans
- support at Glasgow
2. Creating your data
- choosing software
- developing procedures
- documentation
3. Managing your data
- storage and backup
- access and security
4. Archiving your data
Managing storage and backup
Considerations:

Is there a central place for your group’s data to be stored?

Does everyone have sufficient space? If not, how is this resolved?

Do people know who’s responsible for managing storage and backup?
Options:

Use central IT provision so storage management and backup is provided

Manage own servers and backup facility departmentally

Individuals manage own backup
- how to automate so it’s more robust? e.g. use Apple Time Machine rather than burning CDs
Access and security
How are data accessed when you need to work remotely?

Emailed back and forth?

Copied onto memory stick?

Secondary copy on laptop?
Are there more secure options?

NetStorage: secure, internet-based access to networked storage
http://nwfiles.gla.ac.uk/NetStorage/

VPN (Virtual Private Network): a secure, encrypted connection to the
University network. Download Cisco, the VPN client at:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/it/forstaff/flexiblenetworkaccess/vpnclient/
Progress
1. Planning your research
- data management and sharing plans
- support at Glasgow
2. Creating your data
- choosing software
- developing procedures
- documentation
3. Managing your data
- storage and backup
- access and security
4. Archiving your data
And so to archiving…
How to select what to keep?

DP & FoI Office at Glasgow offer information audits to help you select data:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/dpfoioffice/guidanceonrecordsandinformationmanagement/
informationaudits/

DCC’s basic overview to appraisal: http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/briefingpapers/introduction-curation/appraisal-and-selection
Where to deposit?

Enlighten – the University’s publications repository: http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/

The UK Data Archive (social science data): http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/

Archaeology Data Service: http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/

NERC data centres: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/sites/data/

NCBI GenBank (genetic sequence data): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/
Future support

Steve Beaumont chairs the Digital Preservation Advisory Board, which
is looking at preservation needs across the University, specifically in
terms of research data management

JISC funded Incremental project on research data management
- webpages to collate University guidance and links to support
- tailored assistance on writing data management plans
- example data plans and guidance on costing support
- best practice guides and case studies
- training courses on managing data, especially for PhDs and ECRs
Tell us what you need!
Useful contacts at Glasgow
Don’t try to do things alone - ask for advice. Speak to:

Local IT / research support technicians

HATII (digital preservation expertise) - http://www.gla.ac.uk/hatii/

Research & Enterprise - http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/researchandenterprise/

Enlighten (the Uni repository) - http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/

Data Protection and FoI Office - http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/dpfoioffice/
Glasgow training courses:

“Curation for Researchers”

“Managing Research Data and Records”

Training courses to come as part of Incremental
Useful external guides

DCC data management and sharing plan guidance:
http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/policy-and-legal/data-management-plans

JISC briefing paper on digital preservation:
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/digitalpreservationbp.pdf

THE supplement, The data revolution:
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxteu/tsl/jisc/#/0

UKDA managing and sharing data guide:
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/news/publications/managingsharing.pdf
Key message:
In order to archive your data, ideally you should
plan and cost this in from the outset
Thanks!
Any questions?
Contact us at: sarah.jones@hatii.arts.gla.ac.uk
http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/hatii/