The critical input to any research project is data. The rigor, quality, and reproducibility of research hinges on how data are managed during and after the completion of a research project. To assist and encourage our researchers and collaborators in their efforts in managing their research data, we have developed a set of guidelines. These guidelines are tailored to IFPRI’s needs and address some common data management issues throughout the research and data lifecycle. The guidelines are intended to (1) inform best practices for creating, preparing, storing, sharing, and publishing data; (2) make working with data easier; and (3) provide relevant resources external to IFPRI for further information.
Preparing a data management plan
A data management plan (DMP) is a formal document outlining how data will be managed during and after the lifecycle of a research project. Many donors require a data management plan as part of the proposal submission process. The DMP guideline describes different elements of data management plans, how to develop a data management plan specific to certain donors, and the resources available to assist in developing data management plans. (forthcoming)
Ensuring ethical and legal compliance
This guideline helps researchers to think through and comply with different ethical and legal requirements for research data management. (forthcoming)
Deidentifying data
This guideline outlines strategies and methods for deidentifying quantitative datasets. (forthcoming)
Storing data
Countries around the world are setting legal requirements for data access conditions, availability, protection, and transmission. Within this context, this guideline describes the institutional procedure for storing, protecting, and transmitting datasets securely. (forthcoming)
Sharing data
This guideline outlines the need and procedure for data use agreements while sharing datasets with collaborators, partners, and other organizations before the data are made publicly available.
Publishing data
This guideline describes how to prepare datasets for publishing in ways that others can reuse thereby increasing the impact of research.
Licensing data
Under IFPRI's data policy, all datasets generated from IFPRI research will be owned and copyrighted by IFPRI, subject to contractual provisions. IFPRI researchers may use data generated by other organizations or people.
This guideline will assist researchers in thinking through copyright and ownership of their own or someone else's data and help them to use data responsibly.