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ACU Research Data Management Toolkit

This toolkit will help you to determine your research data management needs and create a data management plan that documents how data will be managed during the research process and after the project is completed.

Research Data Management at ACU

Video: Managing Sensitive Research Data

Research Data Management Planning Overview

Research data management

This Toolkit will help you to determine your research data management needs and create a data management plan that documents how data will be managed during the research process and after the project is completed. 

The appropriate management of research data means that you will:

  • ensure its long term preservation and access: you and others can easily find and access data when and where you need it;
  • guarantee the authenticity of research data;
  • facilitate validation and verification of your results; and
  • meet the requirements of funding bodies, publishers and The University.

What is research data?

"Data generated throughout and beyond the research life-cycle. Data that are in the form of facts, observations, images, computer program results, recordings, measurements or experiences on which an argument, theory, test, hypothesis or another research output is based. Data may be numerical, descriptive, visual or tactile. Data may be raw, or analysed, experimental or observational and may be held in any format or media. Data include records that are necessary for the reconstruction and evaluation of reported results of research and the events and processes leading to those results."  ACU Research Data Management Policy

ACU Contacts

Library Research Services LibResearch@acu.edu.au 

Research Support Services eresearch@acu.edu.au

Ask your Librarian about Data Management Training and support for ACU researchers.

Video: Storing Research Data

ACU Research Bank

ACU Research Bank is the institutional research repository of Australian Catholic University. ACU Researchers may select to deposit a copy of their data set in Research Bank or alternatively deposit the metadata about their dataset. Datasets in Research Bank may be available open access or via mediated access.The description of your data is fed to Research Data Australia, a national collection of metadata describing datasets.

Contact your Librarian if you would like to deposit your data in ACU Research Bank.

Research Funding Agencies and Data Management

Increasingly, research funding agencies are requiring responsible data management practices and data management plans to form part of their funding requirements.  In Australia, the Australian Research Council and the NHMRC both have requirements for data management and planning to be addressed as part of their application process and funding rules for research projects.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) policy statement on research data management and funding guidelines each include a section on managing research data.

ARC Policy Statement

ARC Funding Rules

"Researchers and institutions have an obligation to care for and maintain research data in accordance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2007). Researchers must outline briefly in their Proposal how they plan to manage research data arising from a Project. The ARC strongly encourages the depositing of data arising from a project in an appropriate publicly accessible subject and/or institutional repository..." (ARC Discovery Grant Rules, A11.5.2).

Resources

National Health and Medical Research Council

The NHMRC Open Access Policy (2018) is consistent with the Australian Government's commitment to open access, open data and intellectual property management  NHMRC supports the sharing of outputs from NHMRC funded research including publications and data. The aims of the NHMRC Open Access Policy are to mandate the open access sharing of publications and encourage innovative open access to research data. 

The NHMRC is a signatory to the Wellcome Trust's joint statement on Sharing research data to improve public health.

Policies and Codes

The University's Research Data Management Policy is effective 20 September 2017.

The Policy forms part of the University's governance framework for research data management and outlines responsibilities with respect to storage, retention, accessibility for use and reuse, and/or disposal of the University Research Data.

The main points are:

1. Research Data management must be consistent with:

2. To optimise research outcomes, Research Data must be:

  • documented and/or described;
  • stored securely to protect against theft, misuse, damage or loss;
  • held in appropriate facilities that allow access to be managed as required;
  • made accessible for use and reuse, and/or disposed of, according to legal, statutory, ethical and funding bodies’ requirements.

3. Ownership of Research Data must be determined based on existing University policies, procedures and agreements

The Policy must be read in conjunction with other related University polices: