File Naming: Use clear, consistent names for your files. Avoid spaces and special characters. Include dates and version numbers to track changes.
Folder Structure: Organize your files logically, by type (e.g., text, images), time (e.g., year, month), or activity (e.g., interviews, experiments).
Data Ecosystem: Your data ecosystem includes servers, cloud storage, code packages, and software. Proper management ensures data is secure, sustainable, findable, understandable, and reusable.
Manage and Clean Data: Intentionally care for and maintain your data. This involves planning from the beginning of a project, maintaining quality throughout, and ensuring data can be shared and reused effectively.
FAIR Data Principles: In 2016, the "FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship" were published to ensure that your data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. These principles help make your research data more visible and usable, enabling integration with other data and reuse in new research.
CARE Data Principles: The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance focus on how to handle data with respect and responsibility. CARE stands for Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, and Ethics. These principles guide researchers to consider not just data sharing, but also the rights and cultural contexts of the communities the data represents. This approach ensures that data use respects the values and interests of Indigenous and diverse cultures.
Good data management helps you keep your data organized, making it easier to find, understand, and use. This is crucial for maintaining data quality and integrity, especially in collaborative projects.
Data Integrity: Proper data management ensures your data is reliable and accurate.
Collaboration: Well-organized data makes it easier to share and collaborate with others.
Privacy: Keeping track of data access and confidentiality helps protect your privacy.
Example: Imagine you’re working on a project about social media trends. Properly naming and organizing your files means you can quickly find and share specific data sets with your team, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
For more detailed guidelines on data management, check out the Data Management LibGuide.
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