Research Data
Research data may be broadly described as "... data that is collected, observed, or created, for purposes of analysis to produce original research results."
Research data may be generated for different purposes and through different processes and may be divided into the following categories. Each category may require a different type of data management plan.
Observational
Experimental
Simulation
Derived or compiled
Reference or Canonical
These data can come in many forms such as, text, numerical, multimedia, models, software, discipline specific (i.e., FITS in astronomy, CIF in chemistry), or instrument specific.
Research Data Management
Research data management, also referred to as Data Management is the process of controlling the data generated during a research project. The outcome is a usually a publication in the form of an article, report, thesis, dissertation and the like.
Any research project will require some level of data management. Funding agencies are increasingly requiring researchers and scholars to plan and execute good data management practices.
Managing data or data management is an integral part of the research process.
It can be challenging particularly when studies involve several researchers and/or when studies are conducted from multiple locations.
How data is managed depends on the types of data involved, how data is collected and stored, and how it is used - throughout the research lifecycle.
The outcome of a research project depends in part on how well the raw data is managed.
Managing data helps the researcher to organize research files and data for easier access and analysis. It helps ensure the quality of the research. It supports the published results of the work and, in the long term, helps ensure accountability in data analysis.
Effective data management practices include: