Subject Guides: Research Data Management: Data Planning

Data Planning

Planning for data management early in your research will provide you with more time for research, make it easier for potential collaborators, and will ensure you receive credit for your research data.

Data planning is also good practice for identifying data issues and risks related to your research data, before they become problems.

According to the Federation University Research Data Management Policy (2016), research data is:

........generated in research projects. Research data can include data in the form of facts, observations, images, samples,computer program results, recordings, measurements or experiences on which argument, test or hypotheses, or another research output is based. Data may be numerical, descriptive, visual or tactile. It may be raw, cleaned, or processed, and may be held in any format or media. It includes laboratory notebooks, as well as any other records, including computer code, that are necessary for the reconstruction and evaluation of reported results of research, and the events and processes leading to those results (p. 2).

Federation University. (2016). Research data management policy. https://policy.federation.edu.au/research/research_integrity_and_compliance/research_ethics/ch09.php

Data management planning

A research data management plan helps to prevent loss of data, loss of access to data, obsolescence of data, or breaches of ethics or privacy.

The Federation Research Data Management Policy, in line with The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, emphasises the requirement for retention of research data and primary materials acquired during research to defend challenged research outcomes.

Your plan should also consider how your data will be discovered, so other researchers can access and use it.

Start planning with the Research Data Management Checklist

Ethics considerations

Researchers need to be aware of their obligations with regard to privacy, confidentiality, consent, cultural sensitivities, and other ethical requirements that relate to the data that they are collecting and are responsible for.

Ethics enquiries can be directed to research.ethics@federation.edu.au or check the Federation research ethics and integrity website.

Privacy laws

All confidentiality agreements between the researcher and participants must be respected. It is advisable for researchers to include information about data storage and data access in information provided to participants during the consent process.

The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) requires Commonwealth agencies to comply with the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) regarding personal information, and also covers some circumstances related to handling of health and personal information for research.

Other state and territory legislation might also apply to research data covering health and personal information, e.g. the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic)

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