Research data management

What is research data managment (RDM)?

Research data management is a general term for how researchers plan for, and carry out, the handling of data for their research projects from data gathering or generation, through active analysis, to data deposit or long-term storage and preservation. It involves activities throughout the research data lifecycle.

Researchers may need to comply with the research data management policies of their institutions, journals/publishers, and funders. The Tri-Agency Councils -- the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) -- released the Tri-Agency RDM Policy in March of 2021, which will be phased in over the next few years. It contains requirements for institutions and for researchers. For more detail on complying with policy, see our library guide.

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How can AU Library help?

AU Library is currently collaborating with other units at AU to develop an institutional strategy for research data management and a profile of services to be offered to researchers. The library currently offers the following resources and services to assist researchers with research data management:

• An introductory guide to research data management, data management plans, policy compliance, and data deposit.
• Assistance with creating data management plans (DMPs), including using the Portage DMP Assistant Tool and templates.
• Individual appointments to discuss data management planning. For example:
  • Assistance for planning to comply with upcoming or existing publisher and funder RDM policies.
  • Assistance for drafting plans for data management, access, and storage for a research project or team.
  • Assistance in preparing data for deposit and finding an appropriate repository.
  • Assistance on including statements related to RDM in research or funding proposals.