Getting into good data management habits early in your research can save you a great deal of time and stress. Taking the time to think about how to organise, store and back-up your data means that you will always have the information you need to hand when you need them. Research Data Management (RDM) doesn't need to be complicated if you follow a few simple steps. Remember that the term data refers to many different types of information that you might come across during the research process, from statistics to images and physical samples to your own notes. Research data is any information used and produced during the research process. The resources in this section will introduce you to some basic data management concepts.

A data management plan (DMP) allows you to build a roadmap of how your data will be managed, both during and after your project. Having a DMP will help you think about each stage of your project and can function as a checklist to make sure that you don't miss anything vital. As well as being good academic practice, funders are increasingly asking to see DMPs before awarding grant money for research. This helps to demonstrate to funders that you have given adequate thought to looking after and crucially sharing the data that you generate. The resources in this section guide you through the essential areas in a DMP but remember to always check specific funder requirements about what to include.

The University of Cambridge is home to a SafePod. Housed in the University Library,  it allows researchers to data that requires secure access arrangements.

You can read more about the SafePod including how to book a space on the dedicated webpage.