This Top 10 Data Management Actions for the Research Community checklist accompanies the Research Data Management Policy Framework. It provides a simple guide based on the policy for anyone who manages research data.
PLANNING
1. Understand funder and collaborator requirements
Read, understand, and follow your funder's open data policy and any relevant third-party agreements.
2. Budget for data management
Include the costs of managing, storing, publishing, and preserving data in funding applications.
3. Create a Data Management Plan
Write a Data Management Plan and keep it up to date throughout the project.
4. Address ethics, consent, and legal requirements early
Understand and comply with legal, ethical, regulatory, contractual, and disciplinary requirements for your data. Obtain any required permissions to reuse data.
ACTIVE DATA MANAGEMENT
5. Do your training
Complete the University’s required cyber security awareness and data protection training. Research data management training is also highly recommended.
6. Store and back up data securely
Use University-approved storage and backup systems based on the data security classification level of your data.
7. Document data responsibilities
Define who owns the data and who is responsible for its management, maintenance, and access during the project.
8. Give fair attribution
Recognise and credit all contributors to research data appropriately.
PUBLISHING AND PRESERVING DATA
9. Publish data openly where possible
Make research data as open as possible and only as closed as necessary.
10. Preserve your data for the long-term
Deposit your data in a trusted repository: add metadata, assign a suitable licence, obtain a persistent identifier, and include a data availability statement in publications that the data underpins.
Good data management makes your research easier to find, use, and trust.
The checklist is also available to download in two formats:
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A4 poster (.pdf) suitable for printing;
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PowerPoint slide (.pptx) suitable for digital signage.