Documenting compliance - policies and legislation

Researchers should record how they comply with any policies or laws that might affect the way they manage research data, such as the keeping of records for statutory retention periods, meeting the requirements of privacy law and other relevant legislation, and complying with the requirements of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

Researchers also need to be mindful of the commitments regarding data ownership, copyright and intellectual property that apply to all UQ staff members and students.

Documenting compliance - ethics

Researchers conducting work that involves animal or human subjects need to document their compliance with the relevant ethical standards, policies and legislation.

The National Health and Medical Research Council provides a large amount of data on health ethics, including a range of guidelines.

Planning how data will be managed

Recording how data will be managed is another compliance issue. Researchers must store securely and safeguard from loss, theft, damage or accidental exposure any data generated or collected during a research project.

Researchers must also address methods of access, both while research is ongoing, and for researchers who might later want to re-use the data.

What is best practice in research data management?

The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research outlines researchers' responsibilities to manage research data and materials well (section 2), and to make their data available to others for sharing and re-use, if possible (section 4).

The Code was developed jointly by the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Research Council and Universities Australia.