Research Data Management (RDM) happens at multiple levels (see image), depending on whether you (1) organize your own day-to-day research, (2) pursuing collaboration within a research group, (3) pursuing synergies between multiple research groups, or even (4) conducting RDM for your entire discipline.

While organizing your own research work is characterized by practical and quick RDM measures, its character changes as you move up the levels of the pyramid shown. Recommendations and guidelines increase with every level Practical tips become general recommendations to be implemented by the level below. For example, the following RDM measures can be applied depending on the level:

(1) Organization of your own research work (Does the Chair have guidelines?)
Naming conventions and versioning of work data
-  Contextual description for data collection
- Data analysis methodology documentation
- Traceability of the findings
- Securing work progress with backups and archiving

(2) Collaboration with a research group (Does the Institute/Faculty/Organization have guidelines?)
- Transparent folder structure for the collaborative work
- Standardization of processes and methods for data processing
- Provision of handouts, checklists, taxonomies, vocabulary
- Provision of knowledge management
- Provision of information on applicable legal frameworks
- Systematic on-boarding and off-boarding of employees

(3) Synergies between multiple research groups (Does your discipline have guidelines?)
- Organize the collaboration between research groups (data governance)
- Create connections between the research groups (data interface)
- Think about joint research tools (data catalog, data warehouse, data lake)
- Use the same terminology (metadata schema)
- Ensure IT security and compliance with the legal framework (data compliance)

(4) Discipline
- Creation of joint infrastructure SaxFDM, NFDI, EOSC)
- Creation of joint terminology (ontologies)
- Creation of discipline-specific guidelines on good scientific practice
- Creation of measures to make high quality research available

Do you have further questions on this topic or would you like more detailed information on specific elements?

We would be glad to hear from you. Please contact us at Service Center Research Data by email or book an appointment.