Four Things You Can Do To Extend the Impact, Reach, and Longevity of Your Research Data

Abstract

As a scientist, you may spend years toiling over data collection and analysis for a single project. But in 20 or 50 years, will future researchers be able to reuse your data for new scientific studies? Several technological advances are enabling improvements in the way that investigators manage and preserve research data, but in comparison, cultural adoption of these tools by the scientific research community is slow. How is the collection, analysis, and storage of your data different from when you started your research career? Given the time and financial investment in data production, a relatively small addition for data curation could greatly increase the impact of your research data. This article suggests four tech- related activities that are evolving to help your data and science achieve maximum impact, reach, and longevity