Research data comes in many formats - including some that you might not think of as 'data'. It might be in spreadsheets, interview transcripts, photographs or geological samples. It is any information that has been collected, observed, generated or created to validate original research findings.
As well organised data is critical for your research, and data sharing has advantages for both you and society, it is important to plan and document how you will manage it. The process of creating a Research Data Management Plan will enable you to understand the nature of your data and the requirements for its management both during and at the end of your research.
Ensure that data management is funded in your project budget and, if you have a project team, assign a data management role from the start.
UWA Library has created a Research Data Management Planning tool in Qualtrics that you can use to create your own Research Data Management Plan.
Effective data management will ensure the responsible conduct of research in several key areas:
The FAIR Principles are international guidelines to help researchers and data stewards maximise the value of their research data and comply with mandates for data to be findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR).
Developing a Research Data Management Plan before you commence your research project helps you to consider, document and establish:
Many research funders and research policies require that a Research Data Management Plan has been completed. Some funder requirements are detailed on the Funder requirements tab.
UWA researchers can use our Research Data Management Plan template to create their plan. The tabbed pages on this Guide will assist you to complete each section of the Plan:
Email your questions to our friendly library staff.
HDR Students
UWA Staff
More contact options are available on the Library Contact us page.
This webinar recording provides an overview of research data management principles and some practical strategies for managing, organizing and preserving research data throughout the research lifecycle.
Except for logos, Canva designs or where otherwise indicated, content in this guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.