What to Keep/Delete: How to Appraise your Data Gareth Cole. Data Curation Officer, University Library.

Today’s Session Why can’t you keep everything? Institutional, legal and funder requirements Data reuse Validation of results Replication of data Costs Is it even possible? Disposal/deletion of research data Data sharing

Introductions Who are we? Who are you and why are you here today?

Why Can’t you Keep Everything? Storage space – both digital and physical Cost Outdated copies/back ups Makes version control harder Harder to fulfil requests for information/data

Discussion One – When do you delete data? In groups discuss when you have decided to delete data. Think about: Why you deleted the data? Why you kept the data you did? Do you delete any data? If not, why not? Feedback to group

What Should you Keep? It depends... Funder requirements Legal requirements Institutional requirements Research group requirements Discussion with supervisor/s Needed for future research

RCUK RCUK Common Principles on Data Policy “Data with acknowledged long-term value should be preserved and remain accessible and usable for future research.” RCUK Policy on Open Access “All papers must include details of the funding that supported the research and, if applicable, a statement on how the underlying research materials – such as data, samples or models – can be accessed.”

Funders’ Requirements (RCUK 1) EPSRC: “Research organisations must ensure that data is securely preserved for a minimum of 10 years from the end of any researcher ‘privileged access’ or, if others have accessed the data, from last date on which access to the data was requested by a third party.” ESRC: “ESRC award holders are expected to make use of existing standards for data management and to make data available for further re-use. The ESRC data service providers are responsible for ensuring long-term access to the data.” AHRC:AHRC “The AHRC requires that significant electronic resources or datasets are made available in an accessible depository for at least three years after the end of the grant.” STFC: “Data resulting from publicly funded research should be made publicly available after a limited period, unless there are specific reasons.”

Funders’ Requirements (RCUK 2) BBSRC: “BBSRC expects research data generated as a result of BBSRC support to be made available with as few restrictions as possible in a timely and responsible manner to the scientific community for subsequent research.” MRC: “The MRC expects valuable data arising from MRC-funded research to be made available to the scientific community with as few restrictions as possible so as to maximize the value of the data for research and for eventual patient and public benefit.” NERC: “NERC considers that long-term, open access to the data that underpin research publications will help to ensure the integrity, transparency and robustness of the research record. Access to these data supports the fundamental scientific requirement of allowing others to confirm or challenge research results.” “The environmental data produced by the activities funded by NERC are considered a public good and they will be made openly available for others to use. NERC is committed to supporting long-term environmental data management to enable continuing access to these data.”

Other Funders’ Requirements Wellcome Trust: “ensure that key data resources are developed and maintained for use by the research community” “recognise the contributions of researchers who generate, preserve and share key research datasets”

Data Protection Act Personal data: Relate to living individual Individual can be identified from those data or from those data and other information Fair processing: Not kept longer than necessary In accordance with the rights of data subjects, e.g. Right to be informed about how data will be used, stored, processed, transferred, destroyed, right to access the information and data held Security Protected against unauthorised access, data loss, damage to data Not transferred abroad without adequate protection Only disclosed if consent has been given to do so (except legal duty)

Freedom of Information Act Any information held by the University can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act (including research data). There are exemptions that mean certain types of information do not have to be released. E.g. If data is intended for future publication, if there are commercial considerations, if covered by DPA.

Institutional Requirements 1 Code of Good Practice in the Conduct of Research 2.7 : Documenting Results and Storing Primary Data “Researchers should keep clear and accurate records of the procedures followed and the approvals granted during the research process, including records of the interim results obtained as well as of the final research outcomes. This is necessary not only as a means of demonstrating proper research practice, but also in case questions are subsequently asked about either the conduct of the research or the results obtained.” “Primary data generated in the course of research must be kept securely in paper or electronic format, as appropriate and held normally for a period of five years (or as required by the funding body) after the completion of a research project.” 10/04/2013: Cardiff research misconduct case (THE article)Cardiff research misconduct case “Professor Morgan should have “taken more resolute steps” to ensure Dr Donev left his source material with the department “for safe-keeping, as is understood to be the normal practice”

Institutional Requirements 2 PGRs should deposit data that supports their thesis in ORE (Open Research Exeter)ORE (Open Research Exeter) Open Access Research and Research Data Management Policy for PGR Students:Open Access Research and Research Data Management Policy for PGR Students: “All PGR students’ digital research data that has been selected for retention should be deposited in ORE or an appropriate national or international data service or domain repository. Valid reasons for non-deposit of data include potential commercial issues, the inclusion of confidential personal data or data that is politically or otherwise sensitive. Students should discuss exemptions with their Supervisor.” “PGR students’ research data that has been selected for retention should be registered with ORE, even if the data is retained in a national or international data service or domain repository or if the data is not suitable for publishing on open access.”

How to Appraise your Data Selecting data: what to keep, what to delete? Issues to consider: Is the dataset unique? Can the data be reused? Can the data be easily replicated? Has the data been effectively documented? Does the data underpin your publications/thesis?

Who Appraises the Data? It depends: If on a group project then the PI in consultation with the group If a single researcher then yourself in consultation with your supervisor/s If on contract work then in line with the contract/business “The lead PGR Supervisor and the PGR student should discuss and review research data management annually.” Please see the draft checklist for more information.draft checklist for more information “Responsibility for ongoing, day-to-day management of their research data lies with PGR students. Where the PGR is part of a project, data management policy will be set and monitored by the Principal Investigator (PI) and the PGR will be expected to comply with project guidelines. The lead PGR Supervisor is responsible for advising the PGR student on good practice in research data management.”

Discussion Two – What data will you keep after your PhD? In groups consider: Have you thought about this subject at all? What criteria will you use to keep your data? Where will you keep your data? Use the guidance document to think about some of the issues.

Disposing of Research Data Once you have selected your data for retention make sure everything else is disposed of securely Use confidential waste bins where appropriate for hard copy material (surveys, questionnaires etc.) Shred physical materials Paper, credit/debit cards, CDs and DVDs Don’t just delete files on a computer Delete them with proper software (see next slide)

Data Destruction When you delete data and documentation from a hard drive, it is probably not gone: Files need to be overwritten to ensure they are irretrievably deleted: BCWipe - uses ‘military-grade procedures to surgically remove all traces of any file’BCWipe If in doubt, physically destroy the drive using an approved secure destruction facility Physically destroy portable media, as you would shred paper UKDA webpage on data destruction

Further Information Internal: Open Access enquiries: Research Data Management website University policy on Open Access and Research Data Management for PGR studentsUniversity policy on Open Access and Research Data Management for PGR students “Selecting data: what to keep, what to delete?” checklist (PDF, 122KB)Selecting data: what to keep, what to delete? Data Protection advice Freedom of Information advice Information Security – External: Digital Curation centre guide: “How to Appraise and Select Research Data for Curation”How to Appraise and Select Research Data for Curation

Data Sharing

Two stages of your project when you may share data “Live” sharing during the project Making your “completed” data available at the end of your project

Why Should you Share your Data Benefits – “Live” data Increased collaboration opportunities with colleagues Increased exposure of your current work Increased efficiency across research group Benefits – “Completed” data Increased citation counts Increased exposure for your work Increased chance of collaboration in the future Allows others to build on your research Policy RCUK Common Principles on Data Policy University Policy

Sharing your Data – During your Research With your supervisor; with project colleagues; with external interested parties Cloud Storage – Dropbox, Googledrive, OneDrive etc. Not recommended for sensitive or personal dataDropboxGoogledriveOneDrive – issues with large data and/or sensitive data. Potential version control problems USB sticks – easily lost. Can transfer viruses External hard drives – less suitable if collaborator is at a different institution Websites – lack of permanency. Need internet connection. May not have access rights to the site FTP – Not secure. Data can be intercepted Hard copy documents – one of a kind

Sharing your Data – At the end of your research Archive Repositories Discipline specific archive Archaeology Data Service NERC Data Centres Wellcome Trust list of Data Repositories (Inter)national archive UKDS University repositoryUniversity repository Link your data with your thesis/research papers Websites Link from your University personal webspace to data in a repository Link from academic network sites Academia.edu, ResearchGate.netAcademia.eduResearchGate.net

Issues in Data Sharing Ethical and Data Protection Act Copyright and legal issues File size Metadata Discoverability of the data Re-use of data Documentation of data File format – open or proprietary What to share Quality control and versioning

Further Information External: UKDA guidance on “Planning for Sharing” DCC table showing if your funder provides a data centre NIHR Research Governance Framework For Health and Social Care “Data relevant to findings should also be accessible.” (p. 14)Research Governance Framework For Health and Social Care Internal: University web pages Exeter University’s Institutional Repository (ORE) PhD student’s experience of copyright issues

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