You need to manage research data at all stages of the research process. We provide in-depth guidance on planning, organising, sharing, and preserving data. You can receive support in your data management from experts at the University and national organisations. On this page, you will also find relevant policy documents for Umeå University, information about the FAIR principles, and summarised support for heads of department.
Research data is any data you produce or collect as part of your research. For example, it can be data from measurements, statistics, or interview material.
For your research to be credible, it is important that others can review and reuse your data. Additionally, it is becoming increasingly common for funders and journals to impose requirements on how your data is handled and shared.
The University's regulations include the following documents relevant to research data management.
Umeå University has also developed a checklist to guide you before, during, and after a research project.
Checklist for research projects (Aktum)
Many funding organisations require research data to adhere to the FAIR principles, which Umeå University supports. These principles aim to facilitate the reuse of research data.
Making research data accessible and FAIR criteria (The Swedish Research Council)
Four principles for FAIR data
FAIR data, that is research data that fulfils the FAIR principles, should be:
You can read more about the FAIR principles here:
CARE: Indigenous rights and open data
The shift towards open science and increased access to research data is considered a significant advancement but raises concerns among the world's indigenous peoples. Specifically, there are concerns that ethical aspects may suffer as data becomes more openly available. When data can be reused in new contexts, indigenous peoples cannot track their data. Situations may arise where there is no apparent link between the indigenous contexts from which materials and data have been collected and the research context in which the data is being reused.
The CARE principles complement the FAIR principles and encourage researchers to consider both people and purpose when sharing or reusing data.
You can read more about CARE in this feature:
CARE: Indigenous rights and open data
The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity
The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity was developed in 2017 by the organisation All European Academies (ALLEA) and aims to guide researchers towards good research practice. These guidelines address several aspects of research work, one of which is data management. Among other things, the guidelines state that researchers and research-performing organisations should ensure compliance with the FAIR principles and maintain transparency about data availability.
European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA)
As the head of a department, you are responsible for managing and archiving research data within your department. Here, you can find direct links to essential resources.
Support for heads of department
Find essential information on the page Preserve data
We have gathered information on preserving, archiving, and deleting data into one convenient location. You will also find links to legal information on public documents, confidentiality in research, and de about data storage from ITS.
You also need to be familiar with the information on these pages:
Checklist for research projects (Aktum)
Dokumenterad forskningsdatahantering (Aktum, Swedish only)
Disposal of research data (Aktum)
Research data management (Aktum)
Sharing research data in research collaborations (Aktum)
At Umeå University, research data support is coordinated, with different functions responsible for specific data management issues. Here, you can read about the support available and whom to contact:
