Data services is a new initiative from the Brown Library aiming to help researchers in all stages of the data lifecycle. Here you can find information on creating a data management plan, software available for working with data, as well as information on saving and sharing your data.
For a more detailed look at managing and sharing data, the UK Data Archive has created a best practices guide for researchers.
Data management plans (DMP) are now required by many funding agencies and insure that data is stored and accessible for future research. Data management plans can also increase access to your publications and research, increasing readership and use of your research data.
Data management plans are not difficult! They describe your data, give information about how it is saved and shared and is a method of archiving and preserving your data. Data management plans are a maximum of two pages long, and can be created in minutes.
DMPtool - This is one of the most popular Data Management Plan building tools, and allows researchers to quickly create their own DMP. This website also gives examples and helpful tips in creating your DMP and has requirements from the major funders for DMPs.
Other examples of DMP : National Endowment for the Humanities has over 100 examples of DMPs that have been funded. Inter-university consortium for political and social research also has a good outline for DMPs.
Cloud Storage services are efficient means of saving, storing and sharing data. Many encrypt files while in transit for added security. We recommend taking advantage of the Google Drive file storage on your ACU account. Other options include Dropbox and iCloud.
Digital Commons, ACU's institutional repository exists to preserve and share scholarly and creative works created by the university's faculty and staff and archival files curated by our Special Collections. Faculty and students can also see metrics of who views and downloads your research articles, theses, etc. Read more about Digital Commons on this guide or on the site's FAQ page.
There is no standard in the USA for citing data.
The digital curation centre has a good guide available here: http://www.dcc.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/publications/reports/guides/How_to_Cite_Link.pdf
The Canadian government has a good resource for citing Census data, maps and more.
Michigan State University also has some good examples for citing US data.
