Archiving your data

Data archiving preserves data that is valuable for the long term. Archived data supports reuse at a later stage by yourself or others. 

Data archiving vs data storage

It is important to distinguish data storage from data archiving. Data storage relates to data that is still actively being worked on. Storage solutions vary depending on computational needs, software and collaboration requirements. Archiving, on the other hand, relates to data in a static state that needs to be organized, documented and preserved for the long term. 

The importance of data archiving

Your data may be consulted or reused in a few years’ time and still needs to be interpreted correctly. Data archiving ensures that data is findable, readable and understandable for a long period of time. 

Research data is archived to: 

• Safeguard raw data during and after a research project.
• Support research integrity and verification.

• Prepare for reuse and publication.

What to include when archiving data

Archived data should be accompanied by documentation that allows others, and your future self, to correctly interpret it, such as:

• Description of your study and the files archived
• Description of the processes of data creation and manipulation
• Blank informed consent form (if applicable)

• Description of who is allowed to access the data and for which purposes it can be used

UG archiving solutions

The University of Groningen provides two solutions for archiving research data:

• Y:drive
• Research Data Management System (RDMS)

When choosing your archiving solution, follow the guidelines and policies of your faculty or research institute. These often provide information on the location for archiving and materials that need to be archived.