Doing your research

The data – from experiments, simulations, observations, interviews, etc. - you collect during your project(s) are very valuable. Therefore, loosing, accidentally changing or misplacing these - unique, laboriously obtained and sometimes sensitive - data is the last thing you want.

Manage your current data
To manage your data, good Research Data Management practices are essential. These practices include, amongst others, a structured folder system, descriptive and consistent file naming, data documentation, documentation of software used and secure data storage. These, and other practices, are addressed in your Data Management Plan. Click on the pages below to find out more about these and other good practices for managing your data.

More information:

Data documentation
Data classification
Data exchange and collaboration solutions
File formats
High Performance Computing
Manage your source code with Git@WUR
Yoda FAQ & Cookbook
Organising files and folders
Storage solutions

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I protect my data from incidental loss?

You can protect your research data from incidental loss by using a storage solution that is secure, by making regular backups and by ensuring that the backup of your research data is as independent as possible from the main storage. See ‘Storage solutions’ for more information.

Where can I store my current research data?

Wageningen University & Research offers different managed storage solutions to securely store your data. You can choose personal or shared storage solutions with backup options. For all additional options see our support page ‘Storage solutions’.

Can I get into trouble when my data are stored in the cloud?

Yes. For example, when you store your data files with a cloud service that has its servers located in the US, like Dropbox, you fall within US jurisdiction. The US is subject to the Freedom Act. US authorities can demand the details of your account. If you wish to use a cloud storage service, it is better to use OneDrive for Business. The legal contracts and configuration of this service comply to the security standards of the WUR. You use OneDrive for Business for free and sign in via your WUR-account. Note that cloud storage is not suitable for all data types. This depends on the classification of the data. For more information see ‘Storage solutions’.

How do I ensure that others understand my data?

You have to document your data to ensure that you, as well as current and future users, understand the context in which your data were collected. This increases the chance your data can be found, understood and reused. See our support page ‘Data documentation’ for more details on how to prepare data documentation.

How do I structurally store my data so that I can find them?

You do this by designing a logical folder structure and consistently applying descriptive file names over time. See ‘Organising files and folders’ for some best practices. Also, don't forget to add adequate ‘Data documentation’ to your folders.

Where can I safely store and manage my software source code & scripts?

You can do this in Git@WUR: an environment especially created to store and collaborate on source code and statistical models built at Wageningen University & Research. Visit our support page 'Managing your source code with Git@WUR' for more information.

Who needs access to your research data and from where?
What is the classification of your research data?
Do you just want to transfer research data or do you wish to collaborate?

Depending on your answers we offer different solutions. See ‘Data exchange and collaboration solutions’ to choose the option that best fits your needs. To collaborate on source code, Wageningen University & Research has developed Git@WUR (see also: ‘Manage your source code with Git@WUR’.