Introduction
1. Preparing a DMP
2. Documenting and Organizing Data
3. Storing Data and Data Security
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Data Storage – Introduction

By now you will have obtained some idea of how to manage your data collection and how to organise and document your research data.

Now we will look into data storage. Since your data is the life blood of your research you want to avoid losing it. Recovery could be slow, costly or even impossible. Therefore, during your research you must ensure that all your research data, regardless of format, are stored securely, backed up and maintained regularly.

Need examples of data storage gone wrong? Watch this short video where John MacInnes, Professor of Sociology, the University of Edinburgh, talks about his experience with a corrupted hard drive and the importance of backups.

In this part of the course you will learn to:

  • Discern between data storage solutions;
  • Choose an appropriate storage solution for your research data.

Bear in mind that technology is evolving rapidly. The suggestions in this course for storage options, technology and regulations is a snapshot that may soon be outdated.