RDM refers to the processes applied throughout the lifecycle of a research project to guide the collection, documentation, storage, sharing, and preservation of research data.
The end results of good RDM practice is a data set that is well described and re-usable. The FAIR principles described below guides researchers in the production of research data that is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
The FAIR principles are a set of guidelines for research data management and stewardship. Launched in 2016, the FAIR principles provide a set of best practices for sharing data that respects legal and/or contractual restrictions and encourages sharing. FAIR stands for: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
The FAIR Principles can help make your data more fit-for-retrieval and use by other researchers. The principles also emphasize the capacity for machines/computers to automatically find, access, interoperate, and reuse data with little or no human intervention (FAIR Principles, n.d.). This means that when you adhere to the FAIR principles, you are making data understandable to machines or computers and preparing it for long-term preservation.
Research data management involves the active organization and maintenance of data throughout the research process, and archiving of the data at the project’s completion.
Research is often conducted with the use of public funds or for public benefit. Traditionally, scholars and scientists have communicated their results to peers and the public through written publications.
Many people involved in the research process now believe the scholarly record is not complete unless linked to the data and code which were used to generate the published results.
This unit will explore issues of data sharing, the concerns you may have, and how to go about making your data available to others appropriately using the FAIR Principles of data sharing.
This work is an adaptation and remix from the following sources:
"FAIR Principles" by University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0