Terms and conditions to consider when selecting research data for long-term storage
Substantive arguments
File format
- In which formats are the data available?
- Are data format and software format usable?
For (re)usability, data should be stored as much as possible in digitally sustainable data formats. [also see this LibGuide]
Processing phase
- In which processing phase are the data now?
- Are they at the processing phase (raw/unprocessed, semi-processed or published) most relevant for reuse?
Metadata and data documentation
- Is sufficient information about the data (metadata and data documentation) available?
- Is that information of sufficient quality to understand which data are involved?
Think of code books, the structure of the data, the intellectual property, the context and, for example, whether there are links to publications or related data files available. [also see this LibGuide]
Legal requirements
- Is there clarity about intellectual property rights, such as copyright or database rights?
- Are personal data involved?
- Can they be published in this way, or are measures necessary?
[also see this LibGuide]
Sustainable infrastructure
- Is there a sustainable infrastructure available for archiving or publishing the data?
Think of a data archive or an institutional or thematic repository.
Zuyd has set up the O-drive and ZuyData@figshare for this purpose. [also see this LibGuide]
Costs
- Are costs taken into account for selecting, archiving, converting and long-term storage and availability of the data?
Whether data will be archived for the long term remains a cost and benefit consideration. How do the costs of archiving or publishing and making the data available relate to the costs of reproducing the research data?
Selection guidelines
Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) has compiled a list of essential points of interest when selecting data for archiving:
