Storing Research Data in IU Institutional Storage

Research data and related files should be stored in “institutional” storage managed by IU;  such as Microsoft Teams or, for an annual fee, a Google Shared Drive. This institutional storage is meant for documents and files that need to be retained by IU for operational and compliance purposes as well as institutional memory. Research data is institutional data. Institutional information also includes files such as grant applications, research files, presentations, course materials, and administrative information like department notes.

For researchers interested in learning more or finding an appropriate storage solution for their data, UITS Research Technologies (RT) systems such as Geode and Slate may be a better fit for research data that are actively being used. Research data that are not actively being used can be stored on the Scholarly Data Archive. While the best storage option for a particular research project will depend on many factors, below are a few suggestions for successful data management while at IU.

Plan for data migration

All data will need to be moved at some point. A common point is the transition from active and collaborative data, to finalized and published data: storage requirements change as your data progresses through the research lifecycle of collection, analysis, and archiving. Consider that you will need to migrate data to new systems approximately every 3-5 years. Ensure you are ready for any required storage shifts by knowing your storage options and archiving or publishing data that is finalized. 

Good data management may require a different platform than one built for collaborating on documents and presentations

While your articles, presentations, grant proposals, and other documents can be stored on an institutional Teams account or Google Shared Drive, other systems maintained by UITS RT (including Geode, Slate, the Scholarly Data Archive, and the Research Database Complex) are designed with robust security protocols and data integrity safeguards and may be a better storage solution for research data. While these security measures limit collaborative features, they ensure the reliability of your data. 

When in doubt, reach out

Choosing the right storage can be complicated, but you do not have to figure it all out alone! Some options for support at IU include: 

• The SecureMyResearch team has expertise in cybersecurity, research workflows, and research compliance issues. They are the first stop for developing a secure workflow that works for your research project. You can contact them at securemyresearch@iu.edu. ** ** 
• Research Data Librarians can help you develop a plan for managing and sharing your data. Reach out to all IU Data Librarians at resdata@iu.edu. 
• The IU Research Data Commons, which serves as a clearinghouse for data resources across IU. Team members will help get you to the right support. 
• For questions about storage options provided by Research Technologies, please contact administrators for the SDA, Geode, or Slate file systems