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Research Data Services

This guide describes the services offered by the Ruth Lilly Medical Library for the management, sharing, and preservation of research data at the IU School of Medicine.

Data management plans

Whether required as part of grant proposals/applications or created ad hoc to help manage a project, developing a data management plan (DMP) is considered best practice for conducting research. These plans identify upfront the methods, resources, and tools to be used throughout the various stages of a research project. DMPs can also function to coordinate the activities of all personnel involved in the project by clarifying roles and responsibilities.

Data governance

When planning your research project, it is important to consider how data are governed at IUSM and how that affects your ability to handle (in particular, store) the data you work with for research.

To assist faculty, staff, and students with navigating this process, Indiana University (IU) has appointed Data Stewards to provide guidance. These stewards are assigned to different data subject areas and can also provide insight into the different types of data that IU recognizes and how those classifications might overlap with a particular data subject area. More information can be found on the IU Data Management website: https://datamanagement.iu.edu/.

Data storage

Making decisions about where data will be stored during a research project is an important step in the planning process. IUSM has a variety of storage platforms available for research data depending on the type of data and the need for short, intermediate, or long-term storage. For additional guidance or questions on which storage option(s) may be best suited to your data, please contact a medical librarian.