Preserving access to research data can enable discoveries to build on past work long after a publication.
The University policy is that “investigators are responsible for the orderly collection, retention, cataloguing, and proper storage of research data.” In addition, many funding organizations require that researchers consider and implement measures to insure access to their data.
How is this accomplished?
Repositories and Data Centers
Depositing data in a repository will usually provide preservation of the data (and documentation, or metadata) that you deposit. You should confirm that the repository will do this for you. The UI’s repository, Iowa Research Online, is available to do this if a domain repository is not available.
UI Resources for Preserving Data and Metadata
What if there is additional data that is not publicly shared or placed in a repository, but is essential to your research and/or publications?
UI Research Data Policy is that research data must be retained by the investigator(s)
- for a minimum of six years if the study involved the collection of protected health information
- for all other research, data must be retained by the investigator for a minimum of five years after the final closeout of the funded project or resulting publication, whichever occurs later
- some circumstances may require that research data are kept for a longer period of time