Protect data

Regardless of whether you work alone in your research or as part of a larger group in a research project, it is essential that you can access and use the project's research data while protecting the material from becoming corrupt or being lost.

Secure data management during the project period means ensuring that data are accessible to those working with them (see Shared work files), while preventing unauthorized access (see Protected data). It is also crucial to safeguard the data from loss or damage. Therefore, you should manage and store project data in a way that prevents data loss or corruption and also restricts unauthorized access (see Information security).

Access and backup during the research process

To avoid accidental loss or damage to essential data, it is important to use a secure storage solution with regular backups. Since files can be lost due to hard drive crashes or theft, it is not recommended to store original files on a personal computer’s hard drive, especially not on a laptop. Research data should also not be stored on USB drives, CDs, DVDs, external hard drives, or similar media, as these can be lost, damaged, or stolen. If data are processed on computers outside the project's central storage solution, ensure that all data are synchronized back to the central system to prevent data loss.

Modern technology generally offers automatic backups, but data loss is still a common issue that can get in the way of research progress. Data that are stored in only one location are at risk. If your recorded interviews exist only on a digital recorder, if field measurements and notes are only on paper, if a dataset is stored solely on a laptop’s hard drive, or if a database is saved only on a USB stick, your project’s data is vulnerable. A disaster could occur due to an accident, hardware failure, or theft. Therefore, check the backup policies of the storage solution you are using.

Most universities provide shared storage solutions and may also lease space in larger national storage facilities. However, your university’s IT department may not have a perfect solution for your specific data needs. In some cases, another university may have a suitable solution, but sometimes a separate system must be set up for your project, or specific software must be acquired. Consult your IT department when applying for research funding, in case you need to budget for such costs.

Regardless of the storage solution you use, ask your local IT department for recommendations on backups and the required data security measures.

If your research team includes researchers from different universities or external collaborators, be particularly mindful of how access is granted, what permissions are given, and where the material is stored (see Agreements with other parties).

Protection against unauthorized access

Just as it is important to ensure that the right people have access to the data, it is equally crucial to prevent unauthorized access. You need to understand the data’s classification level and adhere to your university’s guidelines for handling materials of that classification. Data containing sensitive information (such as personal data, military secrets, or information about ecologically sensitive locations) require higher security measures than less sensitive data. Regardless of the sensitivity level, you are responsible for ensuring that the data are adequately protected against accidental or unauthorized access.

You do not need to resolve these issues alone. Depending on the type of material you work with, you can seek support from your local research data support service, IT department, data protection officer, legal officers, or security department regarding where and how data should be stored and protected from unauthorized access.