Research Commons

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Research Data Management - Best Practices

Introduction to Research Data Management

Why Share?

Sharing or publishing your data can:

  • increase citation rates and impact of research
  • provide real-world examples for teaching and learning
  • encourage inquiry, debate, innovation and collaboration
  • maximize transparency and accountability
  • reduce costly duplication
  • meet federal funding agency expectations

Getting credit for sharing datasets is similar to getting credit for publishing an article. You should cite other peoples data and they should cite your data. 

When Do I Have to Share?

Many journals are making a commitment to have the data underlying a particular publication made openly available before the article is published.

Some of the most notable journals that have Open Data Policies include: 

In some cases journals will have a specific repository that they want researchers to use while in other cases they may just want the data made publicly available somewhere with with a persistent identifier (such as a DOI). 

When should I not share?

Depending on the data you collect you may be subject to certain laws and policies that prevent you from sharing your data such as patenting, HIPAA, FERPA, or Export Control. Please see our section on Data Policies for further information. 


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