What are research data in the arts and research?

Research data are not only generated in scientific projects. Artistic working processes also produce a wide variety of materials that should be documented, organised, preserved and, where appropriate, published. Examples of research and project data include:

• Sketches, drafts and notebooks
• Photographs, videos and audio recordings
• Interview material and transcripts
• Measurement data and experimental results
• Documentation of rehearsals, workshops or performances
• Digital models, software and programme code
• Archival materials and collection data
• Project reports, publications and exhibition materials

The Service Navigator helps you to organise these materials effectively throughout the entire life cycle of an artistic or scientific project.

This navigator comes in three phases:

Enable - plan, fund & set-up your project

I develop a project idea and prepare my plan.
What should I be focusing on now?

• What data or materials will be generated during the project and how to organize them?
• What legal and ethical issues do I need to take into account?
• How do I handle personal data?
• What copyright and usage rights are relevant?
• How do I organise the storage of my data?
• Do I need a data management plan?
• What infrastructure and services are available to me?

This Section tacles and supports you with

• Data management planning
• Copyright and licences
• Data protection and ethics
• File organisation and storage solutions 
• Project organisation
• Funding requirements

Guidance – see your project through to completion

I am actively working on my project and producing materials and data. What should I be focusing on now? • How do I document my work and research process? • How do I back up my data reliably? • How do I organise files and versions?

• How do I describe my materials so that they remain findable later on?
• How do I collaborate with other project participants?
• How do I handle sensitive data?

This Section tacles and supports you with

• Data storage and backup
• Documentation of work processes
• Metadata and description of materials
• Version control
• Collaboration and data exchange
• Data protection during the project
• Quality assurance

Save, Communicate & Disseminate – preserve your work and make it visible

I publish, archive or share the results of my project. What should I focus on now? 

• What materials do I want to publish or make available for further use?
• What rights need to be clarified? • Which licence is suitable for my results?
• Where can I publish data, documentation or artistic works to make it be seen?
• How are results archived in the long term?
• How can others find and cite my work? 

This Section tacles and supports you with

• Publication of research and project data 
• Open Access and Open Science 
• Open Artistic Research 
• Licences and re-use 
• Repositories and archives 
• Long-term archiving 
• Visibility, referenceability and citation