Preserving data
Research data are invaluable research materials and products usually difficult to collect, some times expensive and usually unique and irreplaceable. For these reasons, data storage and backup are critical aspects of working with research data.
When deciding on what type of storage solution you will use, you will need to think about several things, such as how much storage you need, what your budget is for storage, what platform you are using, and whether you have data security issues. Moreover, plan and implement a back-up schedule onto shared storage in order to ensure that more than one copy of the data exists. Periodic file and/or directory clean-ups will help keep “publication quality” data safe and accessible.
For advice on data storage and sharing, including future planning for the data, see:
Below, you can find the basic information and useful guidelines regarding data storage, backup and recovery.
You need to ensure that your research data is secure and retrievable for long term use, either by you or other counterparts related to your research at a later stage.
The most common and easy way to store data is on devices, such as USBs and external hard drives. Nevertheless, this is a solution that despite its easiness and popularity poses a risk of data loss if data is not backed up. Storing master copies of digital data on individual computers as primary stores, is also not recommended. Your institution's network drives or cloud services are a secure and suitable way for collaborations with others within the insitution and are also not device specific. The back-ups here are made automatically and very regularly. Cloud services are suitable for collaboration with partners from other institutions. Not being device specific. Be sure to check if your selected cloud service makes regular back-ups.
Electronic data should only be accessed utilizing encrypted passwords that are changed often and are shared with specific persons among those being involved in the research. Despite most research date being in electronic format, many of them may still be hard-copies (paper surveys, writing samples, research journals, notes on paper). Whether hard-copy or electronic, all research data has to be stored in a way where access is limited to only those who have permission and authorization to access such materials. Research date on paper should be kept in file cabinets ideally locked and with just one key. Any identifying information, like names and addresses, should be removed, and written hard-copy data after it’s been transferred to electronic data storage should be destroyed.
Just like storage, backup is a key component of your research data management strategy. Research data (primary, or raw) should be kept separate from your active data, following a solid storage strategy and data backup policy. As mentioned in the previous section, always make a copy of it before working on the data. You can set up a flexible data backup operation, using your own architecture, or make use of available backup solutions.
Typically backup data means all necessary data for the workloads you use for your research. This can include documents, media files, configuration files, machine images, operating systems, and registry files. Essentially, any data that you want to preserve can be stored as backup data and you need to develop a regular backup routine for your data and synchronize among your backup copies. Choosing the right storage option can help ensure that you are creating the best data backup plan for your needs.
The ACG Office of Information Resources Management (IRM) and its InfoSec Operations Team are responsible for the maintenance of the ACG Backup policy, and for responding to questions regarding this policy. IRM performs regular back ups on all shared and personal folders, therefore it is advisable you primarily stored your data there.
Data recovery is the process of restoring data that has been lost, accidentally deleted, stolen, damaged, corrupted or made inaccessible. There are several circumstances that lead to the need for a data restore / recovery: Human error where data is accidentally deleted or damaged, malicious attacks where data is exposed, stolen or infected; power outages; human-made or natural disasters; equipment theft, malfunctions or failures.
The data recovery process varies based on the circumstances under which it was lost and you can use a third-party software or seek assistance from a company that performs data recovery for a range of fees. In general, a comprehensive backup and recovery solution should be in place to protect every piece of data worth saving, wherever it resides.