Ideally, research data is documented in a way that adheres to the FAIR principles. This includes the use of appropriate metadata, which is data about (research) data. They serve to improve the documentation and findability of data. File naming of research data also plays an important role in understanding research data not only after publication but also for documentation during the work process. It is important to maintain clear and consistent file naming, especially when data ais used by many researchers in a large project. Additionally, attention should be paid to the choice of file formats. Non-proprietary, open formats support data reusability.
Activities and responsibilities concerning the entire life cycle of research data can be recorded in a data management plan (DMP).
Good research data management aims to provide accessible and long-term reusable data, regardless of the data creator.
To achieve this goal, research data should be handled according to the FAIR principles.
FAIR stands for :
Findable
Accessible
Interoperable
Reusable
In terms of research data:
FINDABILITY is enhanced via persistent identifiers and sufficiently descriptive metadata.
ACCESSABILITY is supported by storing research data in an open-access repository.
INTEROPERABILITY is ensured by using open, non-proprietary file formats.
REUSABILITY is promoted by using (preferably open) licenses and providing sufficiently descriptive metadata.