Data Management

Introduction to Data management

Data Management is about handling, documenting, and understanding the nature of your research data through its entire life cycle. From initial planning, collecting, and processing your data to final publication and archiving.

Data Management

Introduction to Data management

The world of science is increasingly demanding data management, and working with a data management plan throughout your research project is in many cases no longer just “nice to”. Nationally and internationally higher ambitions for research data are in play with Open Science and the FAIR principles. Also, more and more funders require you work with data management and deliver a data management plan. Read on for more background.

Benefits of good data management

A defined practice for how you organize, structure, describe and document your data for the entire project. This makes it possible for all involved to navigate and work with the data.
Potential further utilization of your data – transparent, organized and described data (metadata) can be reused in new research projects.
Your data management plan is documented awareness of the specifics of your research data.
Compliance with Open Science and The FAIR principles.
Compliance with funding and ethical requirements.
Meeting expectations from institutions and project partners.

Background on the importance of Data Management

In Denmark, the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education is in line with the European Commission on the importance of Data Management. By assignment DeiC (The Danish E-Infrastructure Corporation) has published The National Strategy for Data Management Based On FAIR-Principles. The following is a quote from the preface of that publication:

“The European Commission has launched a number of policy and strategic initiatives aimed at supporting better research and societal use of research data, including the European Open Science Cloud, the object of which is to establish a Web of FAIR data and services to facilitate finding and reusing research data. In 2018, the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education published a Strategy for National Cooperation on Digital Research Infrastructure. This data management strategy, based on the FAIR principles, is an important initiative in the 2018 strategy and should be seen as a first Danish national response to the requirements of the European Open Data Directive the (PSI Directive) that national policies must be drawn up for making research data accessible in accordance with the FAIR principles.

In order to preserve research data and make them available to others, it is necessary to keep track of the contents and physical location of the individual data sets throughout the research process. This is known as data management. To ensure that data can be found, accessed, interoperated, and reused, they must comply with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) principles. The purpose of this strategy is to ensure that research data generated via public funds, and possibly co-funded by private research-funding foundations, meet the FAIR principles.”

The National Strategy for Data Management Based On FAIR-Principles by DeiC, 2021, DOI: 10.48715/ea59-tp35

Practical research data management

In 5 words: Make a data management plan.

A data management plan is a framework and a tool to help you structure, streamline, and overview a wide range of details in your research process. It is not a static plan you write and is expected to carry out. The plan develops with your project.

Visit the Data Management Plan site.

Research data services at AAU

The main central supporting units and their main areas of expertise are:

CLAAUDIA: FAIR, data management plans, data storage and preservation, metadata.

Fundraising and Project Management (F&P): Guidance throughout the entire funding process.

Grants and Contracts: GDPR, declarations of consent, data processing agreements.

IT-Security: Data classification and secure data storage assessment.

When it comes to research data management as a discipline AAUs main service unit is CLAAUDIA, a team of data managers, stewards and scientists working to support AAU researchers. Covering both data management and science they work together to give guidance and solutions to managing and handling data in research projects.

Data management is becoming more and more important in research and CLAAUDIAs services are developing accordingly. In 2023 they have introduced 4 data stewards to AAU and will focus on becoming a strong service unit in knowledge and guidance with data management. As of now CLAAUDIAs main services in data management are:

FAIR and Data Management

Data Management Plans

Data Storage and Preservation

Talk to CLAAUDIA

CLAAUDIA is a specialized team of data scientists, data managers and data stewards within ITS who provide access and support for a line of virtual services to researchers as well as assistance in data management planning, active data handling, data publishing and data archiving.

CLAAUDIA