Research Data Management Services

Data Management and Sharing Plans (DMSPs) are an important part of the research data lifecycle. DMSPs provide a summary of what a researcher will do with their data during and after a given project. Although all researchers benefit from creating DMSPs, DMSPs are increasingly required for grant proposal submissions.
For assistance creating a DMP:
Utilize the DMPTool with funder and institution-specific templates, and get feedback from Research Data Management Librarians @ the U.
Schedule a consultation.
Read more on the DMSP page of our Research Data Management Guide, or sign up for RED 764.

The Marriott Library, along with many colleges, research cores, and institutes on campus provide access to datasets for reuse in research projects. Highlights available through the library include:
        The L2 Dataset
        Policy Map
        TDM Studio
        Data Axel
        ICPSR

For additional help and specific questions, schedule a consultation.

Organizing research data includes file naming and organization along with metadata and data descriptions. Our guide for data curation provides ample information to get you started.

For additional help:
       Register for RED 769: Data Storage and Repository Selection.
       View this introduction to file management training virtually.
       Read about discipline-specific metadata.
       Schedule a consultation.  

The library and other campus resources provide a wide variety of data management tools.

The DMPTool is available through single sign on with your Utah email is a powerful tool to create data management plans with funder and instituiton specific templates and guidance. You can also request a review of your DMP from us directly in the tool.

The Center for High Performance Computing provides access to virtual machines and storage solutions, including a protected environment for sensitive data along with a variety of other tools and resources.

Tropy is free online tool for file management.

The knowledge commons provides access to data analysis and visualization software, as well as trainings on these tools.

A list of books available through the library to learn data analysis skills can be found here.

There are several options for storing your research data at the University of Utah:
     UBox
     Microsoft 365 / Onedrive
     Google Workspace
     LabArchives
     The Center for High Performance Computing
     ... and more!

Refer to the ISO article University-approved platforms for restricted and sensitive data to determine the classification of your data, and identify a compliant storage option.

In accordance with emerging funder requirements and legislation, the data resulting from the majority of research projects that received funding are now subject to sharing and retention requirements. Whether or not these requirements apply, preserving research data is a key step in the research data lifecycle and complying with the University of Utah's 3 year data retention polciy following the completion of a research project.

We have serveral options on campus as well as externally for preserving and sharing research data:

The Hive is the University's institutional repository. This is a free and expedited option for researchers looking to share their data and preserve it for at least 10 years. The Hive's primary limitation is the requirement to share data under a creative commons license. For additional information, see the about page or contact us.

The Center for High Performance Computing provides storage for preservation at a cost, but provides ample scalability and the option of a protected environment and backup services.

A multitude of general and domain-specific respositories are also available outside of the Unviersity, including options like the State of Utah Open Data Catalog. For help navigating your options, see our repository selection, see our decision tree here to walk through the selection process and key considerations. For more comprehensive training, register for RED 769: Data Storage and Repository Selection.

For additional information or help selecting a preservation and sharing location, see our guide or schedule a consultation.

Many scholarly publishers offer researchers persistent URLs in the form of DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers), ensuring long-term access to scholarship and preventing broken links. DOIs also contain metadata that facilitate database searching and optimal sorting of results by enabling the identification of connections between scholarly works, scholars, and institutions.

Graduate students and faculty @ the U are able to create as many as 10 DOIs and/or ARKs each year through the J. Willard Marriott Library. For more information about persistent identifiers, see the section on persistent identifiers in the Digital Preservation Handbook.

In addition, all datasets deposited in The Hive are assigned a DOI--generated by the Marriott's research data mangement librarians--as part of the deposit curation workflow. DOIs minted on behalf of researchers for Hive data deposits are not deducted from the researchers' PID allotment for the year.

We provide consultations on all things research data management (RDM), from introdcutory sessions that provide an overview of basic principles and practices, to training on specific topics or activities, including:
        Developing data management and sharing plans (DMSPs).
        Finding and accessing datasets for research projects.
        Data analysis and visualization.
        Research data curation and documentation.
        File and folder organization and back-ups.
        Navigating research infrastructure @ the U (i.e. selecting a data storage location).
        Defining and handling sensitive data.
        Sharing and preserving research data.

Email us at mlib-data@lists.utah.edu to set up a consultation!

We highly recommend SPARC Open's data sharing policy tool for tracking, comparing, and understanding U.S. federal funder data sharing policies.s guide data-related mandates. Additional relevant policies and legislation, as well as additional resources for training and compliance can be found on the the Policies and Legislation page of our RDM Guide.
For official guidance from the University regarding compliance with federal data sharing mandates, refer to the VPR's Public Access website.

For training on policies enforced by federal funding agencies, check out RED 304: Introduction to Research Data Management (overview of relevant policies), RED 764: Research Data Management and Sharing (DMSP requirements), and RED 769: Data Storage and Repository Selection (includes guidance for complying with data sharing mandates).

Most University of Utah policies--as well as many of the rules, procedures, and guidelines associated with each policy--listed under Research (part 7) in the Regulations Library are at least somewhat relevant to the acquisition, handling, or sharing of research data. Policies of particular importance are Policy 7-001: Research Misconduct Policy, Policy 7-002: Patents and Inventions, and Policy 7-003: Ownership of Copyrightable Works and Related Works. Other relevant policies fall under General Policies (part 1), General Administration and Operations (part 3), and Information Technology (part 4). Policy 4-004: University of Utah Information Security Policy is especially important as it impacts day to day data handling and management, especially for sensitive and restricted data. 

Our Research Data Management Guide covers all aspects of research data management and links to key resources @ the U and beyond. The above tabs contain additional ways to connect with us and learn more about RDM, including consultations and small-group training sessions.

The RDM Certificate Program, offered by the Office of Research Education, was co-designed by the Marriott Library's Research Data Management Librarians to covers essential data management concepts and activities for each stage of the research data lifecycle. Click on the hyperlinked text to read more about the curriculum and course offerings, and remember that all classes are FREE and do not require participants to be enrolled in the certificate program.

Check out the courses and workshops offered by DELPHI and Data Carpentries for upskilling opportunities in data science and analytics.

Explore the Center for High Performance Computing's training calendar for opportunities to learn more about data science, application development, and a variety of speciality topics.