Research data management for students

Here you, the supervisor of bachelor’s or master’s theses, will receive information about what you as a supervisor are expected to know about the management of research data and how you can help your thesis writers move forward.

In addition to expertise in your own field of study, the supervisor provides guidance on good scientific practice and the regulations and principles that are relevant to the student's degree thesis at Åbo Akademi University. This includes an awareness of the basic principles of research data management, and that you can ensure that the writer receives the information they need during the writing process. The writer should be given the opportunity to learn and take personal responsibility also when it comes to research data management, but you as a supervisor are primarily responsible for ensuring that the project is carried out according to good scientific practice and that, among other things, any risks associated with the project's data management are considered.

Plan for the management of the data/material life cycle. You and your writer need a plan for what happens to the data, especially if it contains personal data or other sensitive information.

Here we offer a checklist for data management for those of you who supervise bachelor's and master's theses:

• It is important that the writer has a clear understanding of their research data from the beginning of their project: how they are collected, systematized, used, stored and possibly preserved after the research project. You as a supervisor are in a key position to ensure that this process runs smoothly!
• You should decide whether the writer should write a data management plan (DMP). Writing a DMP is one way of avoiding problem situations in advance. A DMP is particularly relevant, for example, if the writer's work is part of a research project or if the material contains personal data or sensitive material. Remind the writer that material needs to be handled responsibly and in accordance with ÅA's guidelines even if a DMP is not written.
• Regulations on data protection and personal data also apply to students. Issues such as data protection and the handling of personal data are important and should be resolved in a transparent and secure manner. Find out about ÅA's requirements and procedures regarding these issues and ensure that the writer receives the necessary information!
• Remember to also comment on the work with research data during the writing process!
• The writer may need access to IT tools during the analysis process. Help them choose them so that their use supports responsible data management.
• The life cycle of research data continues after the project itself. Therefore, it is important to offer internal options for continued long-term preservation of research data, if necessary, in case they can be reused or need to be saved for other reasons. Choose a suitable storage location based on the nature of the data (size, sensitive information, etc.). The writer is encouraged to create documentation and metadata for the data, so that they can be understood even after they leave the university.
• In some cases the student's data can be opened or archived in a reliable repository or a traditional archive. Discuss with the writer the possibility of this even before data collection, and help with contact, preparation, and final archiving.
• If data is to be destroyed, help the writer to do so in a proper manner.