Research data management overview

An overview of research data management: planning, collecting, organising, preserving, and sharing of research data throughout the research lifecycle.

On this page:

What are research data?
Research data management
Contact

What are research data?

Definition

Within the University, research data are defined as the evidence that underpins the answer to a research question and can be used to validate findings regardless of their form (e.g. print, digital, or physical).

Examples

Research data can be quantitative information or qualitative statements collected by researchers in the course of their work by experimentation, observation, modelling, interview or other methods, or information derived from existing evidence.

Data may be raw or primary (e.g. direct from measurement or collection) or derived from primary data for subsequent analysis or interpretation (e.g. cleaned up or as an extract from a larger data set), or derived from existing sources where the rights may be held by others.

Data or information related to the management and conduct of research

Administrative data created by the management or conducting of research (e.g. funding applications, research contracts, data management plans or ethics applications) are institutional data and are governed by the University’s Data Governance Policy.

Primary materials

Primary materials are physical objects and samples, such as biological samples, that are acquired for research and from which research data may be derived. Primary materials are not research data.

For more information, see Research data management overview.