Data preservation looks beyond the lifespan of the current research project and seeks to make research data available long-term.
This allows for reuse (given appropriate sharing) and will also be of benefit if the outcomes of the research are queried at a later date.
Additionally, some research grants, institutional policies, publisher agreements and government legislation require data to be preserved. This makes it worthwhile understanding some of the important points associated with it!
Deakin University's page 'Where should I publish my data?' includes details of several destinations that could be considered for sharing research data, including Figshare.
Figshare is a repository where users can make all of their research outputs available in a citable,shareable and discoverable manner
Figshare allows for easy sharing and discovery of research data across the world.
Sharing research data is supported by institutions across the academic community.
Deakin University's Publication and Dissemination of Research Procedure (clause 17) supports the dissemination of research data as freely as practicable, subject to privacy, contractual and intellectual property requirements.
Additionally, the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018) states:
“Research data should be made available for use by other researchers unless prevented by ethical, privacy or confidentiality matters"
Sharing your research data is a good thing, but you need to consider these points:
This is the end of the Data Management modules. The series was intended as a brief introduction to data management principles for Optometry students conducting their research project during their final years of study at Deakin University.
For more information on data management, review the Library's Manage Data pages. The Library's Faculty of Health Team can also be contacted (libhealth@deakin.edu.au) for assistance or for feedback on these modules.
The Optometry Digital Literacy Toolkit was developed by Deakin University Library.
Please get in touch if you have any questions or feedback.