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Research data management

What is research data management?

Research data management (RDM) summarises all measures for organised handling of research data. This includes raw data from measurements (e.g., GPS tracking, questionnaires, audio transcriptions, video recordings, satellite images), but also software source code. Prepared and evaluated data (e.g., in tables, diagrams) are part of this, as well as study documentation (e.g., guidelines, method descriptions, evaluation scripts).

Responsible handling of this data is indispensable for high-quality research and for ensuring research integrity, but presents researchers with numerous challenges of an organisational (e.g., compliance with formal requirements of research funding institutions), technical (e.g., implementation of data storage and backup concepts) and legal nature (e.g., compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)). Long-term handling of research data is also a core requirement of many research funding institutions. National and international funding institutions are increasingly requesting a professional RDM for their approval. A good RDM has suitable measures in all phases of a research project, from planning and implementation to data archiving and publication, to fulfil the above tasks in the best possible way, and documents them in data management plans.

Figure: “Data life cycle”. Representation of the stage cycle that research data can pass through. The Department of Research Development and Knowledge Transfer will support you in all of these phases with regard to handling the tasks (RDM project team of the University of Vechta)

Research data management at the University of Vechta

Research data management is part of the Department of Research, Junior Researchers and Transfer. In order to provide a comprehensive advisory service, research advisors and research data managers jointly support researchers in all phases of their projects. Research data management is also closely linked to research information, which in addition to research achievements also records specific values of the applied RDM at the university.

    Service

    The following RDM support is available to researchers for the implementation of their research projects:

    • advice on questions relating to research data management: project planning, applying for funding, project implementation, making the project results available in research data centres
    • support in the creation of a data management plan
    • support through information material, handouts and sample documents (e.g., for data management plans)
    • training offers (e.g., general introduction to RDM, subject-specific advanced seminars)