Closing phase: after the research project
Securing research data
In order to ensure the traceability of research data, it should be saved and stored for as long as is necessary in accordance with good scientific practice and the regulations of the funding bodies. The minimum period is 10 years. PC2 and IMT provide suitable central storage locations for this purpose. When storing, metadata on the data must be provided to enable long-term management and subsequent use. For permanent storage, the use of suitable data archives or repositories is recommended, which also enable accessibility and subsequent use.
Making research data accessible
To ensure that research data is actually accessible in the sense of good scientific practice, it should be stored and archived in suitable data archives or repositories - especially the research data on which a publication is based. This makes research data findable and citable, and the research results can be received more comprehensively overall. According to the GO FAIR initiative, research data should therefore be FAIR. The acronym FAIR stands for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.
Some data archives or repositories have special requirements for the provision (recording) and archiving of research data. For this reason, it is recommended that if you intend to make data accessible, you inform yourself about the existing possibilities in advance. It is helpful to consult a directory for research data repositories such as the "Registry of Research Data Repositories" (re3data.org) or the DFG portal for research infrastructures "RIsources". Zenodo (zenodo.org), an online storage service operated by CERN and funded by the EU (and thus free of charge), is also available for scientific datasets, but also for science-related software, publications, reports, presentations, videos, etc. The research data repository RADAR (https://www.radar-service.eu/en/home) offers a wide range of services for a fee, in particular also with embargo periods for research data.
Provided that no third party rights (in particular data protection, copyright) prevent publication, the data should be made available as soon as possible. The research data should be accessible at a processing stage (raw data or already further structured data including metadata) that enables meaningful subsequent and further use by third parties. To ensure this, care must be taken to ensure that access to the research data remains guaranteed even if, in connection with a publication, exploitation rights to the research data have to be transferred to a third party, usually a publisher. The DFG requires open access in all cases for the projects it funds, so care must be taken when filing with publishers.
Permanent findability and citability of your research data
To ensure that your digital research data, including research software, can be permanently found and cited, it is advisable to use a PID, e.g. in the form of a DOI, when publishing them.
A PID is usually assigned by the institution (e.g. Zenodo or RADAR) that publishes the data. The allocation of DOIs for research data that are permanently archived and published via university institutions is carried out with the support of the UB, which is the central DOI allocation office of the university (member of the DOI consortium of the hbz).
To ensure that your digital research data can be uniquely assigned to you, it is strongly recommended that you link your research data to an electronic identity that can be uniquely assigned to you, such as your ORCID iD. It is advisable to do this via the ORCID centre of the UB.