Data is a wide encompassing term that can include anything you write down in a notebook to software and code, video recordings, survey responses, or physical samples. All of this data needs to be managed. Creating a data management plan at the beginning of a research process not only helps guide your overall process but clearly articulates procedures throughout the project for others that may join (like students).
Research data management is the organization, storage, preservation, and sharing of data collected within a research project. The librarians can help you create a data management plan and can consult with ITS to ensure your data is maintained with best practices throughout its entire life cycle.
The Data Management Checklist below is a great place to start!
Do you know where and how to store your data? How to protect data privacy? Do you know how to share your findings for others to use? We can work with you to help answer these questions and more!
A data management plan should address things like the file type (.mov vs .avi; .xml vs .csv), naming conventions, data security and privacy, back-up protocols, and what to do with missing data. If you have received a federal grant to conduct your research, that grant likely came with data management requirements. These requirements should be clearly addressed in your data management plan.
Resources:
Managing Data in Motion by Follow these steps to get started with Mendeley citation management:
1. Go to Mendeley.com and Create a Free Account. (please make sure to use your @westminster.edu email address for your account)
2. When you login with your new account, you will be able to view and edit your Library of citations from this page, or download an app to your computer called Reference Manager to use your Library.
** Please note: As long as you have an internet connection, changes made to your Library will sync between the Library in your browser and the Library in Reference Manager.
