This guide provide information about Research Data Management (RDM) at the University of Bolton. It is important to pay particular attention to both the RDM policy document and RDM planning guidelines that are available on this page.

The need to manage research data is articulated by the EPSRC in the form of nine expectations institutions are expected to met:

1. Ensure that the creators of data understand why data needs to be preserved and accessible
2. Published papers should include a statement on terms and access of any included data
3. Each institution will have a data management policy
4. Data not available in an electronic format will preserved in such a way that it can be accessed on request
5. The data will include appropriately structure metadata and make it freely accessible on the Internet
6. If data is to be restricted, for example, if it is commercially confidential, a reason much be provided
7. Institutions will ensure that EPSRC-funded data will be preserved for 10 years
8. Institutions will ensure that data curation is applied through the entire research lifecycle
9. Institutions will fund the curation of data from existing funding streams

The University adopts the following policy on Research Data Management:

• Research data will be managed to the highest standards throughout the research data lifecycle as part of the University’s commitment to research excellence.
• Responsibility for research data management through a sound research data management plan during any research project or programme lies primarily with Principal Investigators (PI) and Directors of Studies (DoS).
• All research proposals must include research data management plans or protocols that explicitly address data capture, management, integrity, confidentiality, retention, sharing and publication.
• The University will provide training, support, advice and where appropriate guidelines and templates for the research data management and research data management plans.
• The University will provide mechanisms and services for storage, backup, registration, deposit and retention of research data assets in support of current and future access, during and after completion of research projects.
• Any data which is retained elsewhere, for example in an international data service or domain repository should be registered with the University.
• Research data management plans must ensure that research data are available for access and re-use where appropriate and under appropriate safeguards.
• All research data must be deposited in the University’s own respository (located at: http://ubir.bolton.ac.uk/). The University’s Electronic Resources Librarian should be consulted in the first instance and assistance will be given to enable the data to be uploaded.
• The legitimate interests of the subjects of research data must be protected.
• Research data of future historical interest, and all research data that represent records of the University, including data that substantiate research findings, will be offered and assessed for deposit and retention in an appropriate national or international data service or domain repository, in addition to the University repository.
• Exclusive rights to reuse or publish research data should not be handed over to commercial publishers or agents without retaining the rights to make the data openly available for re-use, unless this is a condition of the funding agency.