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Management and Storage of Research Data and Materials Procedures

This is not a current document. It has been repealed and is no longer in force.

Section 1 - Overview

(1) These Procedures provide a framework to operationalise UNE's Research Data Management Policy. Following this procedure will help comply with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

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Section 2 - Scope

(2) These Procedures apply to all University Representatives and Students who carry out research under the auspices of UNE, that is, as part of their association with, employment by and/or enrolment at UNE. This includes theses and dissertations but excludes coursework units.

(3) These Procedures are used in conjunction with the Research Data Management Policy, hereafter termed the Data Management Policy.

(4) These Procedures apply to research data:

  1. during the active research period; and
  2. upon research completion, closure or publication.
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Section 3 - Procedure

Research data and materials storage during the active research period

(5) All UNE researchers are provided with 500 gigabytes of storage on cloud.une.edu.au.

(6) UNE researchers are required to use cloud.une.edu.au to store digital research data during the entire active phase of the research project.

(7) For storage requirements in excess of 500 gigabytes, the UNE researcher may make a request via the TDS Service Desk.

(8) UNE will not take responsibility for loss or damage of data or materials that are not saved on the UNE Server.

(9) Hard drives, USBs and/or CDs may be used in conjunction with cloud.une.edu.au, however researchers are prohibited from solely using such devices for long-term storage.

Research data and materials management during the active research period

(10) Researchers are required to develop a research data management plan prior to the commencement of a research project.

(11) The Library Services provides a checklist and template to assist with preparing a research data management plan, which can be found in the University Library's Research Data Management guide.

(12) Researchers are encouraged to review their research data management plan at regular intervals to ensure it accurately reflects the research project at any given time.

(13) UNE researchers collaborating with external parties to conduct research led by a non-UNE researcher and undertaken off-site (e.g. another university or industry site) are also encouraged to develop a research data management plan.

Research data and materials storage upon research completion, closure or publication

(14) Upon research completion, closure or publication, the relevant research dataset must be finalised and archived in centrally supported storage.

(15) Technology and Digital Services (TDS) will provide assistance to the researcher to archive the datasets on centrally supported storage.

(16) Each archived dataset will have a persistent identifier that enables future retrieval of the item.

(17) Information on storage arrangements, including the persistent identifier, must be included in the relevant Metadata Store record.

(18) Archived research data and materials must comply with all ethics approved conditions.

(19) With direction from the Research Director, TDS may retrieve or dispose of the archived item.

  1. where the University has intellectual property ownership; and
  2. irrespective of whether the research dataset has been published.

Research data and materials recording upon research completion, closure or publication

(20) Upon research completion, closure or publication, the metadata of the relevant research data and/or materials must be recorded in the Metadata Store, administered by the Library Services.

(21) The researcher is required to submit accurate and complete metadata information to the Library Services pursuant to the established metadata schema.

(22) Once checked and approved by the Library Services, the metadata record will be published from Metadata Store to Research Data Australia and from Metadata Store to Research UNE.

(23) The researcher may request an embargo be placed on the release of the metadata record and/or research dataset.

Research data sharing and publishing

(24) In keeping with Open Access to UNE Research Publications and Data Policy and Procedures, researchers are encouraged to share and publish completed research data and metadata records.

(25) Research data and materials may be shared or published via the metadata record in e-publications@UNE with a persistent identifier locating the item in centrally supported archival storage.

(26) Researchers are permitted to publish or share research data and metadata records via online platforms external to the University.

(27) Where research data has been shared or published, the researcher must meet all ethics approval requirements as well as legal, confidential and contractual obligations.

Exit plan

(28) The Research Director and the Head of School are responsible for managing archived research data upon the researcher leaving the University, including its retention period and disposal requirements.

(29) University-owned research data and materials must remain within the University's centrally supported storage when the researcher leaves.

(30) Research data and materials identified as not owned by the University may be removed from the University's centrally supported storage by the researcher.

(31) If continuing to be involved in the research, the researcher may take a copy of the relevant research data for use in that project.

Materials and data destruction

(32) The researcher may request the destruction of archived research data or materials for the following reasons:

  1. ethical, legal or contractual requirements; and
  2. the archived item is outdated

(33) The archived data and/or materials and metadata record may not be destroyed without approval from the appropriate Head of School.

(34) TDS is responsible for destroying the archived research dataset in storage and the Library Services is responsible for removing the record from the Metadata Store, e-publications@UNE and Research Data Australia.

(35) If research results are challenged, then all relevant research data and primary materials must be retained until the challenge is resolved.

(36) Any items must be destroyed in accordance with the UNE Records Management Rule.

Training and Communication

(37) The University Library provides training on Research Data Management Plans, describing research data, and using cloud.une.edu.au.

(38) The University Library will communicate any development opportunities and changes in relation to the UNE central provisions that concerns researchers meeting the requirements of the Research Data Management Policy.

(39) The Technology and Digital Services will inform the Library Services of any changes to the centrally supported storage provision.

Authority and Compliance

(40) The Procedure Administrator, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, pursuant to the University's Research Data Management Policy, makes these procedures.

(41) UNE Representatives and Students must observe these Procedures in relation to University matters.

(42) These Procedures operate as and from the Effective Date.

(43) Previous Procedures relating to Research Data Management Policy are replaced and have no further operation from the Effective Date of this new Procedure.

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Section 4 - Definitions

(44) Completed or archived research data refers to the research dataset that is in a static state because of research completion, closure or publication.

(45) cloud.une.edu.au is the user interface to the University's centrally supported storage managed by TDS.

(46) Research UNE is the institutional repository for the research outputs of UNE, governed by the e-publications@UNE Deposit, Collection and Access Rule.

(47) Metadata Store is a system managed by the Library Services which enables the gathering, storage and curation of metadata about research data, materials and collections, and facilitates their discovery.

(48) Metadata are descriptions of research data and/or research material sets in accordance with established metadata schema.

(49) Research data means data as facts, observations, computer results, measurements or experiences on which an argument, theory or test is based. Data may be numerical, descriptive or visual. Data may be raw or analysed, experimental or observational. Data include records that are necessary for the reconstruction and evaluation of reported results of research and the events and processes leading to those results, regardless of the form or the media on which they may be recorded.

(50) Research data management plan refers to a written plan that describes what data will be created, what policies will apply to the data, who will own and have access to the data, how the data will be managed, what facilities are required and who is responsible.

(51) Research materials are defined as primary materials which are physical objects such as biological samples, mineral samples, survey questionnaires, measurements, recordings, texts and computer notes, from which research data may be derived.