RDM Learning Resources

Data

Data are facts, measurements, recordings, records, or observations collected by researchers and others, with a minimum of contextual interpretation. Data may be in any format or medium taking the form of text, numbers, symbols, images, films, video, sound recordings, pictorial reproductions, drawings, designs or other graphical representations, procedural manuals, forms, diagrams, workflows, equipment descriptions, data files, data processing algorithms, software, programming languages, code, or statistical records.

Source: Frequently Asked Questions
Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy

Research data

Research data are data that are used as primary sources to support technical or scientific enquiry, research, scholarship, or creative practice, and that are used as evidence in the research process and/or are commonly accepted in the research community as necessary to validate research findings and results. Research data may be experimental data, observational data, operational data, third party data, public sector data, monitoring data, processed data, or repurposed data. What is considered relevant research data is often highly contextual, and determining what counts as such should be guided by disciplinary norms.

Source: Frequently Asked Questions
Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy

Institutional RDM strategy

An institutional RDM strategy describes how the institution will provide its researchers with an environment that enables and supports RDM practices. Developing these strategies will help research institutions identify and address gaps and challenges in infrastructure, resources and practices related to RDM.

Each strategy should reflect the institution’s particular circumstances, including the institution’s size and capacity, geography, and other contextual factors. The strategy would likely require input from various institutional units such as the administrative research office, the research ethics board, library services, IT services, and departments and faculties.

Source: Frequently Asked Questions
Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy

Data management plan

A data management plan (DMP) is a living document, typically associated with an individual research project or program that consists of the practices, processes and strategies that pertain to a set of specified topics related to data management and curation. DMPs should be modified throughout the course of a research project to reflect changes in project design, methods, or other considerations.

DMPs guide researchers in articulating their plans for managing data; they do not necessarily compel researchers to manage data differently.

Source: Frequently Asked Questions
Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy

Data deposit

“Data deposit” refers to when the research data collected as part of a research project are transferred to a research data repository. The repository should have easily accessible policies describing deposit and user licenses, access control, preservation procedures, storage and backup practices, and sustainability and succession plans. The deposit of research data into appropriate repositories supports ongoing data-retention and, where appropriate, access to the data.

Ideally, data deposits will include accompanying documentation, source code, software, metadata, and any supplementary materials that provide additional information about the data, including the context in which it was collected and used to inform the research project. This additional information facilitates curation, discoverability, accessibility and reuse of the data.

Source: Frequently Asked Questions
Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy