Active data management
New data in various formats and magnitudes constantly accumulate during your research process and have to be continuously analysed, structured and documented. Active research data management (ARDM), which organises the data and insights you have gained for later publication, is vital for this.
The reproducibility of research results requires not only the maintenance of primary data but also collection and management of the following:
- processed data
- metadata
- analysis results
- descriptions of experimental set-ups
- management of notes, samples and logs
Data are frequently stored in conventional file- or folder-based systems or imported directly into a database.
Increasing data quantities and the complex operations in modern research laboratories make electronic data management indispensable. It provides for automatic backup of information while simultaneously controlling user access and research data versioning (see external page https://labnotebook.ch, for example).
For further information about active research data management resources and workshops offered in collaboration with Scientific IT Services, please visit ethz.ch/researchdata.