Data Management

The basics of data management and Resources for researchers

Library Research Guide

Back that Data Up!

You should keep three copies of your important data.

  • 1 local - on your workstation
  • 1 local/remote - an external hard drive
  • 1 remote - on a university, or department server, or the cloud

Is your data too big for that?

  • Data compression is an option, but make sure that one copy, somewhere, is uncompressed.
  • Use open source encryption software
  • Document the software and version of the software you used to compress your files in your metadata

Have a Back-up Plan - and use it!

  • Write out a schedule for updating copies of your data on your local and remote storage devices
  • How often should you back up data? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? It depends. In the event of a disaster, how much data do you want to  re-create?  How much are you even able to re-create?
  • Who's going to do it?  Put that in your Plan too.