Storing data during the project

During a research project, it is important to always have access to your research data. At Karlstad University, we use Sunet Drive for storing research data. Saving data with version control is a good way to make it easier to find later.

Sunet Drive

As Principal Investigator or Project Leader for a research project, you may order storage in Sunet Drive for data and other documents from your project. The project will receive a "Project Space" in Sunet Drive, containing a file structure setup. 

Sunet Drive should be used for all storage and internal sharing of research data at Karlstad University. The service can also be used to share research data with collaborative partners outside the university within the framework of research projects in which Karlstad University participates as principle investigator. However, as a general rule, Sunet Drive may not be used as a storage, other than sharing, for research data from other organizations.

Information about data storage in Microsoft 365

There is information that cannot be managed and stored in OneDrive and SharePoint in Microsoft 365.

Research data: Research data should continue to be stored in the dedicated research storage environment, Sunet Drive. For ordering and more information on Sunet Drive, see the link below.

Sensitive personal data: It is not allowed to store sensitive personal data in Microsoft 365. This includes data revealing ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning health, a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation.

Information protected by confidentiality: You are not allowed to store confidential information or trade secrets in Microsoft 365. Sensitive personal data or confidential information should instead be stored in ‘My documents’ or in another location with adequate security. For more information on services that can be used for sensitive personal data and confidentiality, see the link below.

Backups

Backups can be made in different ways, depending on the amount of data that must be processed. For large amounts of 100 GB or more, USB hard drives could be good options. Make backups on at least two different USB hard drives and store these in safes in different locations on campus. The best backup solution is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Keeping track of versions helps you to find data later.

Using the Box cloud service could also be an option, but Box should not be used to save or share sensitive information containing personal or confidential data.

Encrypt the hard drive on which you store data

A good way of securing your research data is to encrypt the hard drive on which the data is stored. This can be done on your own computer as well as on backup USB hard drives. If the computer or USB hard drives were stolen, it would be very difficult to gain access to the encrypted data.

Individual files and folders can also be encrypted, but this is harder to do.

Use standard file formats

Use standard file formats for research data to ensure that they are readable in the future. Standard formats are also preferable to make data accessible to other researchers after the conclusion of the project.

There is always the risk that digital file formats will become unreadable in the future and that valuable research data may be lost.

The National Archives of Sweden’s recommendations (RA-FS 2009:2) indicate approved file formats for storage. The file format depends on the area in which the original document was used. Databases and indices are for example saved as sequential or XML files, and office documents in PDF/A format. Unfortunately, there is no recommended standard for storing digital audio and images.

  • The Swedish National Archive’s recommendations RA-FS 2009:2 (in Swedish)

When submitting your research project to the archive, the file formats you used are converted to an archiving format that is not dependent on specific software, thereby minimising the risk that there is no software available to read the information.

When choosing file formats for research projects, you should consider using:

  • An archiving format from the start, if possible
  • A file format that is not dependent on a specific service provider
  • A file format based on an open standard
  • A common file format

It is not always possible to choose a file format that fulfils these criteria. Standards and traditions in different disciplines can also determine which formats are used. Specific instruments, analysis tools, or your own software may also determine the data format. Remember that each time when a file is converted from one format to another, there is a risk of losing information. Therefore you should save files in an appropriate format from the start, if possible.

Storing research data at Karlstad University

We are constantly developing data storage possibilities. The file linked below shows current possibilities.