The term “research data” encompasses all analog and digital data generated during your research project.
- You can reuse existing data or generate new data.
- Thus, data can be either the basis or the result of the research process.
- A distinction is made between primary or raw data and secondary or processed data.
- Diverse research methods in the various scientific disciplines generate a wide variety of data types and data formats.
- Depending on the discipline and method, very specific requirements can arise for the management of research data.
Data is created by...
e.g., survey, observation, discription, data-mining, experiment, material collection, measurement, modelling, systematic review, simulation etc.
Data types can be...
e.g., auditive, audiovisual, binary, three-dimensional, numeric, substantial, textual, visual etc.
Depending on the methodology, different data formats may be used. The Research Service Centre has compiled recommendations on formats that are suitable for long-term archiving.