11 Tips and Tricks
So you are now ready to jump into the world of data management and prepare data management plans for your next research project. But before you go we have a few tips and tricks that may be useful in your research data management journey.
11.1 Act early - Think about and plan for data management early
- Plan from the outset of your project rather than leaving it to the last minute
- Consider the resources and time that it will take to properly manage your data
- Prepare a data management plan early and update it regularly throughout the project
- Contact your chosen data repository early for assistance including on appropriate data types and cost
11.2 Find a repository - Discover the most suitable repository for your data
- Use a trusted and accredited repository, ideally one that is Core Trust Seal certified
- Think discipline specific (if possible)
- Utilise a repository directory to find your repository such as Re3data or Open DOAR, a Global Directory of Open Access Repositories
11.3 Get an ORCID- Adopt a personal persistent identifier
- An ORCID is a personal persistent identifier distinguishes you and makes sure that your research outputs are correctly attributed to you in one place
- It has name flexibility, is customizable and portable between institutions
- Automatically linked to (trusted) publication databases
- It also is linked to your grant applications
11.4 Think Open Access - Plan for your research to be as open (as possible)
- As we’ve seen the Research environment increasingly moving towards Open research including open access, open data and open methods
- Although highly useful, being open with your research is not always as straightforward as it could be. Think early so that you consider the financial and administrative costs to your project
- Being open is not always suitable for all the datasets or articles that you produce during your research (e.g. personal data) but consider being as open as you can and publishing at least partly open, even if it’s not everything.