There are many decisions to make about managing your data before you even start creating or collecting it. It is essential to think about what research data you are going to create and how you are going to manage it from the outset. Commitments made at the start of a project will have implications on how research data can be managed later.
Create a data management plan
The University and research funders encourage researchers to plan their research data management from the outset. This will often mean a formal 'data management plan' but even informally setting out plans and project guidelines will make life much easier.
Know your funding body requirements
Funders have varying requirements regarding data planning and preservation. It is important to check these at the start of your project.
Know your legal and ethical responsibilities
Information on how to ensure your research data management meets legal and ethical requirements
Find, re-use and cite existing data
Information on where to find existing data for your project and how to use and cite it responsibly.