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The following comment refers to this/these guideline(s)

Guideline 17

Archiving

Researchers back up research data and results made publicly available, as well as the central materials on which they are based and the research software used, by adequate means according to the standards of the relevant subject area, and retain them for an appropriate period of time. Where justifiable reasons exist for not archiving particular data, researchers explain these reasons. HEIs and non-HEI research institutions ensure that the infrastructure necessary to enable archiving is in place.

Explanations:

When scientific and academic findings are made publicly available, the research data (generally raw data) on which they are based are generally archived in an accessible and identifiable manner for a period of ten years at the institution where the data were produced or in cross-location repositories. This practice may differ depending on the subject area. In justified cases, shorter archiving periods may be appropriate; the reasons for this are described clearly and comprehensibly. The archiving period begins on the date when the results are made publicly available.

Maintaining storage capacity

Scientific data is the raw material of research and can prove very valuable for current research long after it was originally generated. Once established, long-term storage and easy access to data avoids unnecessary duplication while at the same time potentially increasing the quality and reliability of future research (e.g. comparative studies, time series analyses).

When it comes to the careful archiving and provision of older data, sufficient storage capacity has to be maintained so as to avoid losing data if not erasing it entirely.

In 2019, Germany’s federal and state governments launched a special funding programme for the development and promotion of a National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) that aims to systematically manage the data holdings maintained by academia and research, which are currently decentralised, project-based and temporary in many instances. As a digital, regionally distributed and networked repository of knowledge, the NFDI aims to sustainably secure research data and enable it to be harnessed for further use.

The comment belongs to the following categories:

GL17 (General)

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