Skip to Main Content

Data Management

Resources in documenting, storing and preserving research data

Librarian

Profile Photo
Nick Szydlowski
he/him/his
Contact:
Digital Scholarship Librarian
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
Office 4051

What is Research Data Management?

When referring to research data management, we are referring to RSCA activities

“Data management, as it relates to data created during the research process, comprises ‘what to manage’ and ‘how to manage it.’ It is not only data per se that need to be managed; accompanying information, such as documentation and other contextual and methodological information, also needs to be managed.”


​Corti, L. (2008). Data Management. In: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. (pp. 194-195). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Why Should I Manage My Research Data?

There are a number of short-term and long-term benefits to good data management practices. Data management helps to:

  1. Clarify workflows for your research team
  2. Improve the discoverability of and access to data among the larger academic community
  3. Encourage federal grant compliance

NIH Data Sharing Policy

You may have heard that the NIH has a new policy for data sharing. This policy, which affects grant applications, renewals, and revisions received by NIH on or after January 25, 2023, requires investigators to submit a data management and sharing plan for all NIH-funded research. The prior policy, issued in 2003, required data sharing only for grants of $500,000 or more.

While this policy is changing, the fundamentals of data management are not, and this research guide contains information that can help you get started in managing your data. Additionally, our librarians are always available and happy to consult on data management issues.

Learn More about the 2023 NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy