Research Data Management

Data storage and security

See the sections 'Storage of Research Data and Primary Research Materials' and 'Backup' in the Research Data Management Procedure

Data storage

At Federation University it is recommended that researchers use the University's provided options of Microsoft OneDrive or SharePoint for storage of digital data.

	FedUni OneDrive	FedUni SharePoint	Federation.figshare	Customised solution
Are you working with large or very large datasets? *
Is your dataset complete?
Are you working with active data? **
Are you using sensitive or private data? ***
Are you sharing your data with other FedUni researchers?
Are you sharing your data with researchers external to FedUni?

* Dataset size (guide only): ‘small’, up to 30GB; ‘medium’, between 30GB and 100GB; ‘large’, greater than 100GB up to 500GB; and, ‘very large’, greater than 500GB.

** For the purposes of this document, active or working data are defined as data that require ongoing access for modification, analysis, compilation, etc. Archival storage solutions are more appropriate for ‘end state’ data.

*** The use of sensitive data includes any personal, licenced, proprietary and commercially-produced data. For “sensitive” data classifications, refer to the following legislative definitions: Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic), Privacy Act 1988

See the 'FedUni Digital Research Data Storage Options Chart' for full list of benefits and limitations to the named data storage options in the table.

The use of computer or laptop hard disk drives, portable hard drives and USB drives pose risks, particularly if one of those options are the storage option for the data.

Risks include:

• Loss of laptop, portable hard disk drive or USB drive
• Corrupted hard disk drive or portable drive
• Hardware failure

The use of third party cloud storage options are not recommended for the following reasons:

• No institutional support for loss of data through deletion or overwriting
• Data may be stored on servers  that are situated outside of Australia's borders which may violate data sovereignty laws or funder project requirements.

Use the dropdown for links to relevant Knowledge Base articles on using SharePoint

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Data security

 

UGent Open Science. Knowledge Clip: Data Security (5:58)

Any data, but particularly data that is sensitive, must have considerations about who has access and the type of access granted. If collaborating with a team, decisions must be made about who has access and the type of access to the data.

Access to the data could be:

• Full access to all folders and files to read and write
• Partial access to specific folders or files to read only, or read and write
• Read only access

Consideration should also be given to:

• Protocols around collaborators entering and exiting the project. Who has administrator access to grant, change or remove permissions?
• How many people have administrator access, and what happens when one or all of those people are unavailable for an extended period?

See Store & Manage for further information on Backing Up Data

Collect & Create   Sensitive Data