Guidelines on RDM
Guidelines on RDM
UiTM Research Data Management Guide
This guide is intended to support the UiTM community in effective research data management throughout the data lifecycle of data planning, documenting, storage, sharing, and long-term preservation.
A formal Data Management Plan (DMP) helps researchers plan their study project and data before, during, and after a research project. It aims to collect, document, make accessible, and preserve data for future use.
Key Questions in All Lifecycle Phases:
- “How do I manage my data during this phase?”
- “What type of data am I creating & managing?”
- “How long do I store the data and how will it be preserved?”
Samples of DMP:
- Guidelines on FAIR Data Management in Horizon 2020 – Europe Open Science Cloud (EOSC)
- Australia National Data Service (ANDS) Data Management Guidelines
Consider How You Organize:
Core Principles of Data Organization
Data organization is the process of arranging and structuring data in a logical and meaningful way. It involves:
Organize Data Identification
The process of assigning a unique identifier to each piece of data to track data over time and across different systems.
Organize Data Storage
Storing and organizing digital information for future access. Storage can be network-based, allowing multi-user access across locations.
Key Steps in Organizing Data
- Primary or Secondary Sourcing & Retrieval: Establishing protocols for extracting data from internal and external sources for risk management or analysis.
- Data Preparation for Re-use: Ensuring accuracy and consistency so that analytics, visualizations, and research outputs remain valid.
Three Primary Data Storage Models
Data is stored at one common place for all users.
Data has multiple structures, stored in organized spaces.
Dividing data into independent components and smaller pieces.
Additional Requirements
- Organize file format and contextual information.
- Organize project directories to aid rapid file retrieval.
- Standardize file naming for logical grouping or chronological sorting.
- Structure file contents to facilitate efficient analysis.
- Maintain consistent data file versioning.
What is Metadata, and Why is it Important?
Simply put, metadata is data about data. It enables anyone interested in your research to understand what it is and how to use it. Consider it an instruction manual providing essential facts about your dataset, allowing others to discover and evaluate it easily.
15 Elements of Dublin Core Standard
Using standardized metadata schemas enables easier discovery and interoperability across repository systems.
| # | Element | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Title | A name given to the resource. |
| 2 | Subject | The topic of the resource. |
| 3 | Description | An account or summary of the resource. |
| 4 | Creator | An entity primarily responsible for making the resource. |
| 5 | Publisher | An entity responsible for making the resource available. |
| 6 | Contributor | An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource. |
| 7 | Date | A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource. |
| 8 | Type | The nature or genre of the resource. |
| 9 | Format | The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource. |
| 10 | Identifier | An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context (e.g., DOI). |
| 11 | Source | A related resource from which the described resource is derived. |
| 12 | Language | A language of the resource. |
| 13 | Relation | A related resource. |
| 14 | Coverage | The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, applicability, or jurisdiction. |
| 15 | Rights | Information about rights held in and over the resource. |
Choosing sustainable, uncompressed, or widely-supported open file formats ensures your research data remains usable long into the future.
| Data Type | Original Data Format | Recommended Long-term Format |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Hand-written, docx, wpd, odt, rtf, txt, html, xml, pdf | XML PDF/A TXT |
| Tabular (Simple) | csv, tsv, pipe-delimited, xls(x), ods, dif, xps | CSV |
| Tabular (Extensive) | sav (SPSS), sas7bdat/xpt (SAS), dta (STATA) | CSV TXT + Script (R/M) |
| Database | mdb, dbf, sql, sqlite, db, db3, xml | XML SQLite |
| Visual / Video | PDF, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, BMP, MPEG, MOV, AVI, MXF | PDF/A TIFF JPEG2000 MPEG-4 |
| Audio | WAV, MP3, MP2, AIFF, WMA, AAC, DCT, FLAC, OGG | WAVE AIFF |
| Images | JPEG, GIF, TIFF, RAW, PSD, BMP, PNG, PDF | TIFF 6.0 (Uncompressed) |
Researchers should identify the likely retention period for their data as early as possible. Actions taken during the project must facilitate long-term preservation for data with enduring research value.
Minimum Retention Requirements
Research data must be kept for as long as necessary to:
- Meet statutory or regulatory obligations (records legislation, funding agency guidelines, contracts).
- Meet current and anticipated future needs of researchers.
- Satisfy University requirements in documenting research activity.
Secure Disposal
Digital Data: Destruction must be irreversible. Data should be destroyed by overwriting, purging magnetic media via degaussing, or physically shredding storage media.
Physical Paper: Must be shredded using secure paper destruction services for confidential information.
Planning for Long-Term Retention
Early decisions heavily impact data reusability:
- Human ethics consents dictate if data can be reused in future projects.
- File format and storage technology choices determine if data can be retrieved long-term.
Data retained permanently should be deposited into the UiTM Research Data Repository.
Source: Monash University (2018)
What is Data Storage?
Digital Archiving
Files and documents are recorded digitally and saved in a secure storage system for future use.
Safeguarding & Recovery
Storage enables automated backups for quick recovery during system crashes or cyberattacks.
Types of Confidential Data Requiring Safeguards
Ownership of Intellectual Property (IP)
Researchers must clarify data ownership and rights before starting a project. Rights determine how data can be stored, shared, and managed long-term, and should be explicitly outlined in the initial Data Management Plan (DMP).
Ensure informed consent forms include clauses allowing anonymized data sharing for future research re-use where applicable.
Deposit finalized research datasets into the UiTM Research Data Repository to increase citation potential and satisfy publisher or grant body mandates.