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Good management of research data is vital in underpinning research ethics, excellence, and integrity. It enables reuse and collaboration and broadens the impact of our research. Cranfield University has a Management of Research Data Policy (pdf) and Research and Innovation Strategy to set out our expectations and the support available to help researchers prioritise the integrity of research and underpinning data.
Detailed guidance on RDM can be found via our online RDM training module, which is accessible to all Cranfield staff and students. This self-paced training includes an introduction module explaining the foundations of RDM (including file formats, data organisation, documentation, data storage and preservation), a second module about writing data management plans, and a third module on depositing data into CORD in our repository CERES. Alternatively, you can sign up for webinars or DRCD sessions via DATES - just search 'research data management'.
Personal support is available by emailing researchsupport@cranfield.ac.uk. You can also book an appointment with your Open Research Specialist for any questions you might have about managing, storing, or depositing your data.
Research data management (RDM) refers to the administration of data throughout the research lifecycle. It encompasses a wide range of tasks, including data creation, processing, analysis, preservation, sharing, and re-use.
"Research data" here refers to the data, methods, software, and records that underpin the findings of your research; the data on which your analysis is based. It may include experimental results, statistics, observations, images, models, notebooks, code and scripts, and may be digital or in other formats.
Data is a research product with its own value, not just an appendix to a publication, but raw material and the basis for new findings - this has long been true not only for the natural and life sciences.
Data should be shared where there are no ethical, legal or security concerns in doing so. The protection of people and their data has priority over the requirement for open research data and it is possible to restrict access where this is the case. Identifying the ethical and legal aspects of your research project and data is a key goal of the research data management process and to take them into account when collecting and managing research data - especially when data cannot be made public.