Data Backups and Archive
Data integrity promotes research reproducibility.
Data backup and archive best practices.
This provides information regarding best practices for data management. We focus on broad pragmatic guidelines for data types based on use frequency and the best ways to ensure the data integrity.
Further revisions of this information will provide more focus on data classifications, relevant regulations, and advice/or resources on how to remain compliant with your sponsor contracts.
Archive Data
‘Active’ data, will refer to data in current use or frequent access. This data should be located on the fastest, most accessible storage.
Data Backups
The 3-2-1 Rule is an often-referenced best practice guideline for data backups. This backup strategy refers to:
Three copies of your data (production and store 2 backup copies) on,
Two different types of storage media (e.g. cloud and external HDD) and,
One copy located in an alternate location (e.g. off-site)
Data Archiving
Data archiving is the process of moving data that is no longer being actively used to a place for long term storage.
Data preservation is a combination of policies, strategies, and actions to ensure the accessibility and integrity of data over time, regardless of changes in technologies and platforms.
Data sharing is the process of making data available to others, ideally by depositing research data in appropriate repositories (e.g. discipline-based or institutional), and in alignment with the FAIR principles (and, if working with Indigenous data, the CARE principles). Data sharing is increasingly required by research funders and journals, and all research data at CSU is subject to a retention policy of at least 3 years.
See CSU Libraries Data Management page to learn more about best practices.