Start the online training Research Data Management 

A simple one-time account creation is required.

Research data management (RDM) is an integral part of your research process. It includes the organisation of research data, from the beginning of your research question to the archiving of the valuable results and their publication. RDM aims to make the research process as efficient as possible and to comply with legal requirements, conditions and guidelines. These come from the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Scientific Integrity, the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, subsidy providers and publishers. 

RDM concerns the way in which you, as a researcher:

  • Re-use and/or create research data, and how to make plans for the use of the data. 
  • Organises, structures and renames research data.
  • Preserving, securing, accessing and backing up research data.
  • Sharing research data with your team and how to publish and be cited.

It is essential to store research data carefully and to make research data accessible according to the FAIR principle (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable). The research data are then available to fellow researchers (internal and external) and to partners from professional practice. The guiding principle here is ‘as open as possible, as closed as necessary.’

In the online Research Data Management training, you will look at all research phases from the perspective of security, sustainability and openness of research data. The introductory modules (duration: 30 minutes) cover the most important benefits and concepts of RDM. You learn about the content of a data management plan, which makes RDM concrete and executable. 

The introduction is followed by the research phases: 

  1. In the modules that are part of the preparatory and discovery phases (duration: 1 hour), you will delve into the topics of RDM-related costs, RDM standards, privacy and intellectual property. You will also master how to search for and reuse existing data.
  2. The modules that are part of the analysis and writing phases (duration: 45 minutes) deal with data management and the methods and measures to enhance the security of sensitive data. The training looks at how you can securely store your data and share it with research partners in practice. You will also learn how to organise and structure data and learn about data formats.
  3. Data archiving and the FAIR principle are keys elements of the modules dealing with the publishing, outreach and assessment phases (duration: 60 minutes). You will learn about metadata and how to licence your data. 

Within each group of research phases, you will go through a case study that will give you an insight into what you will encounter in your research practice. On a more practical note, you will work on an assignment to help you assimilate as much as possible of the knowledge you have acquired. Once you have completed the research phases, you will be assessed in the final assignment on whether you have mastered the FAIR data management process and about your general knowledge about RDM in a 10-question test. 

It will take you 3.5 hours in total to go through all of the modules. The training is divided into research phases and this allows you to tailor the training to your own research process. You will start with the introductory modules and only move to the remainder of the modules once you have reached the respective research phases in your own research. You have the option to download a modular certificate after each group of research phases. You will obtain the final certificate after you have completed the final assignment, the test and a closing magazine

Start the online training Research Data Management 

A simple one-time account creation is required.