Organising research data

Organising research data

You want to store your research data in a structured way for later use in the working group or in preparation for a publication. On these pages we will show you how to use a data management plan to describe how to handle and organise your data. We will also show you where you can archive your research data to meet the requirements of funding organisations. We also provide a list of points of contact at the university for further information.

Organising data

Effective and secure handling of data requires the creation and use of clear structures for organising your data. Effective data organisation includes systematic folder structures, defining a uniform format for folder and file names, as well as suitable storage locations.

Meaningful naming components are, for example:

  • Title, with statement on content
  • Abbreviation of the person responsible for the file
  • Date in the format YYMMDD
  • Version number (e.g. "v02")

Example of a file name: <YYMMDD_TitleMeasurement_Series_Editor_Version>.

Useful links

 

 

Data visualisation and analysis at the University of Rostock

Data analysis and visualisation

Data analysis and visualisation

On the University's application server you will find programmes for data analysis and data visualisation.
High Performance Computing

High Performance Computing

Information on your options for using high performance computing at the University is available from the ITMZ.
Comparison of the IT- and Media Centre’s computing services
Service Application Server (SaaS) High Performance Computing Virtual Servers (IaaS)
Purpose 1. Office communiations and 2. scientific computing and programming High Performance Computing via SLURM/Modules using central IT resources Application testing, running applications/ services on Linux servers (Windows currently not available) with public and internal IP addresses
Limitations Accessed via browser or software Requires submitting an application to use Limited to one year, autonomous administration
Further Information ITMZ-Anwendungsserver (SaaS)ITMZ-Hochleistungsrechnen HPCITMZ-Virtuelle Server (IaaS)

 

 

Metadata standards

FAIRsharing is a curated platform for searching data and metadata standards. Different search entry points are offered: It is possible to search the name of the standard, to select specific properties of the standard, or to browse by subject area. The databases also contain policies.

FAIRsharing

 

 

Exchange, storage and long-term archiving of data

Rostock University's ITMZ and the library offer different options for storing and publishing your data.

Home directory

On the public Windows systems of the University of Rostock (PC pools, application server Uniapps, etc.) you will automatically find your personal home directory as drive R:. We strongly recommend saving your data on the home directory on these systems. You can obtain more information from the IT and Media Centre.

Project drives

The University of Rostock provides project drives on request. They are used to store project-related data and for joint use by several staff members. More information is available from the IT and Media Centre.

SharePoint

Knowledge and data of a working group or even across working groups can be collected and managed using the University’s SharePoint. Information on how to use SharePoint can be found on the IT and Media Centre’s website.

Unibox

With the "Unibox" service, it is possible to synchronise and store data between (external) users, desktop computers and mobile devices. Data can be accessed via web browser, desktop application or mobile clients. Each user has 20 GB of storage space available for this service. More information is available on the IT and Media Centre’s website.

Long-term archiving

For the long-term archiving of your data and applications, the IT department and the library offer application-specific solutions. If project data is to be stored for a period of 10 years for the project sponsor and for subsequent scientific use, the IT and Media Centre offers corresponding storage options. MIf you would like to make your data publicly accessible or publish it, you can do so, for example, on the library's document server RosDok. For individual solutions, please contact us!

Overleaf

Overleaf (formerly ShareLaTeX) is an online LaTeX editor that allows users to compile LaTeX source code directly via a web interface while collaborating with colleagues in real time.
Comparison of the IT-and Media Centre’s storage solutions
Storage option Homedirectory Project drive Tape / block storage
Purpose Personally assigned storage area, only accessible via own user ID; accessible within the University on various systems Storage of project-related data; shared use by several researchers Long-term backup of final research data
Backup Every 30 minutes for 72 hours; daily backup for 3 weeks ; from the IT- and Media Centre Every 30 minutes for 72 hours; daily backup for ≥3 weeks; from the IT- and Media Centre Guaranteed backup of the bitstream
Limitations 200 GB storage space per person free of charge For departments; administration by department administrators; costs must be covered Currently only usable via software with an S3 interface
Further Information ITMZ-HomedirectoryITMZ-ProjektlaufwerkITMZ-Band-/Blockspeicher
Comparison of the IT-and Media Centre’s collaboration solutions
Service SharePoint Unibox Overleaf
Purpose Web service for collaborative use of documents, forms, wikis, notes, calendars, tasks, ... Synchronisation of data between users, desktop computers and mobile devices; collaborative editing of texts, spreadsheets and presentations Collaborative writing and compiling of TeX documents
External users Various interactions possible, e.g. sharing data via link/invitation Data can also be shared and edited with external users via link/invitation Sharing and editing via link is possible
Limitations Administration via department administrators 40 GB storage space per person -
Further Information ITMZ-SharePointITMZ-UniboxITMZ-Overleaf

 

 

Points of contact at the University

Topic Assistance and contact person
Applying for a project Service Centre Projects (S1)
Provision of necessary software IT and Media Centre software offers
Legal advice/ethics advice University’s data protection officer
Provision of necessary computing capacity IT and Media Centre’s High Performance Compute Cluster
DOI allocation Rostock University Library DOI
Record in the research information system Research database

 

 

Contact

Max Schröder

Max Schröder

max.schroederuni-rostockde
Tel.: +49 381 498-8693

  • Design, implementation and operation of research data management services
  • Guidance and support for research data management and related services
  • Standardised descriptions of research processes, research data management and virtual research environments