What is research data management?

Research data management (RDM) describes the strategic and systematic handling of data throughout its entire life cycle. It includes planning, collecting, storing, and long-term archiving in order to make data traceable and reusable.
 

"Research data are [...] digital data that can be stored electronically and that arise in the course of a scientific project, for example through source research, experiments, measurements, surveys, or interviews."

DFG, 2010

Who can use research data management?

The service is aimed at all researchers at RWTH Aachen University. This includes professors, academic staff, doctoral candidates, as well as students who would like to collect and manage their own research data as part of projects or theses.

How can you use research data management?

The IT Center cooperates with the University Library and the Research Office to provide technical infrastructure as well as advice and training on research data management. As the IT Center, we support you by providing:

• Coscine: A central platform for managing research data and connecting different types of storage.
• ELN@RWTH: A central electronic lab notebook (ELN) for members of RWTH Aachen as well as affiliated institutes and cooperation partners.

In cooperation with the University Library, we offer the following services:

• Research Data Management Organiser (RDMO): A tool for creating and organising structured data management plans (DMPs).
• The option to publish data in the institutional repository RWTH Publications, as well as advice on research data publication.
• Coordination of an RDM network at RWTH to promote exchange among infrastructure staff, data stewards, and other RDM stakeholders at RWTH.
• Training opportunities on RDM for your staff.
• Feedback on data management plans or proposal text regarding the handling of research data.
• A personal consultation, e.g. on RDM requirements in third-party funding proposals, an institute RDM policy, or basic RDM infrastructure.

The RDM team can be reached via the IT ServiceDesk.