Evaluating questions

Below you will find a number of questions that can be used to evaluate your data flow.

Does your flow satisfy the needs from others?

Are your data flow in line with all the policies and other expectations to your data handling?

These can be:

University policies
Archiving legislation
Funder requirements
Publisher requirements
Code of conduct for preserving data

Can you cite your data in papers etc?

When you write a paper, book or similar you should be aware of your ability to cite your data when you write. Have you chosen a repository that can assign DOI’s ahead of publication, and is this in line with possible demands from the publisher.

Do you preserve the integrity of your data?

Take a look at your flow. Do you unintentionally loose data that should later be used to prove your findings. That can be alterations of data without have a copy of the original data set, or having proper documentation of the editing. You might also have processes like filters on equipment or similar, where you need to store some kind of documentation for the equipment or the software you used.

Is there any in-secure data handling?

If you are working with sensitive or confidential data, you should take a look at your flow, to see if you have comprehensive safeguards for you data, and if only the right people have or can gain access.

Is your data preserved for long time availability?

How will you preserve your data for yourself and others, and can you read and understand the data in e.g. five or ten years time?
This can be challenged by things like file formats, your storage options, availability of software.