LibGuides: Research Data Management: Best practices

Best practices

RDM best practices

There are best practices for each stage of research data lifecycle.

When collecting data, most researchers can benefit from developing a file organization system that includes a consistent file naming convention, README files, a data dictionary, and versioning control.

In choosing file formats, standard formats supported by open, non-proprietary software and are more commonly used are more likely to be accessible in the future.

Be aware that some of the most commonly used file formats, for example, .docx (Microsoft Word), .xlsx (Microsoft Excel) are proprietary, which means those files may not be supported by future technology and therefore can no longer be opened or rendered useful in the long term.

As an example, Word Perfect was a proprietary format by Corel corporation that is now extinct. Here is what you see if you try open a .wpd (Word Perfect Document) file:

Consult UBC's step-by-step guide on file naming, file formats for data curation, and create a README file.

Don't know what file format to use to save your data? See the full list of recommended formats on Library of Congress Recommended Formats Statement 2023-2024. We can ensure longevity of data for these but not for others.

Learning resources

The Digital Research Alliance of Canada offers RDM resources in various formats on their Training Resources page.

A Brief Guide: Research Data Management
Graphic version. This guide was reproduced by the Portage Training Expert Group with permission from its original creator, Eugene Barsky, University of British Columbia. It can be modified and re-used freely under the CC-BY license.
Good Enough Research Data Management -A Very Brief Guide
Text version. Version 1.1, November 2021, by Eugene Barsky, University of British Columbia.
ACRL Primer for Protecting Sensitive Data in Academic Research
This publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) was prepared by the ACRL Research and Scholarly Environment Committee (ReSEC) as a communication resource about providing protections for sensitive data that may be used or produced in the course of conducting academic research. This primer provides a quick grounding in the whats, whys, and hows of current regulations and practices for protecting sensitive data. It is based on work created in the Netherlands for the General Data Protection Regulation in EU law, but brought into the United States context. ACRL’s Primer for Protecting Sensitive Data in Academic Research is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0