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Research Data Management in LUT Universities: Best Practices in LAB

Plan

Each project should have a data management plan (DMP) to help with collecting, using and storing research data. With a DMP you can ensure that the collected data is reusable both during and after the project.

The data management plan should address at least the following questions:

  • What kind of data  will be collected? (e.g. interviews, questionnaires, feedback, videos, photographs,...)
  • Where will the research data be stored and handled during the project?
  • Who owns the data?
  • What agreements on the usage of data have been made?
  • Where will the data be stored after the project has ended?

To help with data management, you can use DMPTuuli, a tool that allows you to manage your data, meet funder requirements and help others use your data if shared.

Collect

When collecting research data, the participants (data subjects) must always be informed of the purposes of data collecting: why it is being collected and where and how it will be processed, used and stored. These issues are usually addressed as part of the project’s privacy notice.

There must always be a legal basis for processing personal data, which must be determined beforehand. It is advisable to carefully consider what, if any, sort of personal data is necessary. Any data that is related to an identified or identifiable person is considered personal, i.e. information such as names, telephone numbers, email addresses, occupation and location data. If you end up collecting personal data, it must always be processed in compliance with the data protection principles specified in data protection legislation.

The data subject can give their consent to processing their personal data. Such consent must be a freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject's agreement to the processing of personal data relating to them. The consent can be given in a written or oral form, as long as it’s documented.

More information about processing personal data and the consent of the data subject can be found from the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman’s website.

A template for the privacy notice can be found in LAB’s intranet.

Document, store and publish

To ensure the findability and reusability of research data, it's metadata needs to be documented in Reportronics. This metadata describes the content of datasets, including information on where, when, why and how the data was collected, used and stored.

Once the data is no longer used in the project, it needs to be stored so that it can be found after the project has ended. There are three options to choose from:

  1. Use an open research data storage service
    • There are many different services for research data storaging, but LAB recommends to use IDA Research Data Storige Service. Please make sure you have the necessary permissions for storing the datasets, and that data protection has been taken care of.
  2. Use LABdata Open network drive
    • Once you have documented the metadata in Reportronics, you can save the datasets to LABdata network drive. Instructions can be found in Reportronics.
  3. Use LABdata Closed network drive
    • Once you have documented the metadata in Reportronics, you can apply for storige to the closed LABdata network drive. Instructions can be found in Reportronics.

In addition, you can use the Qvain research dataset description tool to get more visibility to the datasets stored to either one of the LABdata drives. Once you have added metadata to Qvain, your datasets can be searched online, for example via the Research.fi -portal.

Storing datasets during the research project can be done also to LUT Universities' workstations, network share locations or cloud services purchased by the university. More information about using them can be found from the LUT Universities Data Handling Guide (In LUT Universities Intranet, requires login).

LUT Academic Library comments the DMPs

LUT Academic Library offers guidance for Data Management Plans and comments the DMP's typically during the research funding application periods. We avoid offering the ready answers and we do not write plans on behalf of the applicant but we advice on the best practices and decision making concerning the data management. In some funding applications the organisation accepts the DMP before the funding is paid. We in the library give the acceptance concerning the DMP.

Practical guidance

  • Always check the funder's guidance and requirements concerning the data management plan related to the current funding application.
  • The best file format is the doc-file, in which we can comment directly. Pdf format is not the best option.
  • Try to be as specific as possible, describe your choices clearly and avoid listing possible options. Avoid direct copying the best practices and examples to your plan.
  • Remember to update your DMP when the project goes on especially if your plans are changed or refined.
  • If you have made the DMP using the DMPTuuli tool use the export function and send the DMP using e-mail instead of adding library staff to as collaborators in DMPTuuli.
  • Send your DMP to the kirjasto@lut.fi to be commented.

Need help?

LUT Academic Library offers help, guidance and training in all areas of research data management. 

Contact us at labdata@lab.fi for further assistance.

Licencing

Creative Commons -licences are recommended for datasets, as they enable you to determine how your datasets can be reused by others.