Research Data Management (RDM): Guidance on ETDs, Research Data and Self-submissions

RDM and ETD Policy

The UP ETD policy (see sections 4.7 and section 4.8), and the RDM policy (see sections 4-6...) require all research data (normally processed data) and its accompanying metadata to be published in an accredited open research data repository (database), or an accredited discipline-specific repository, where available. According to the policy, processed research data that underpin the thesis/dissertation, and journal articles should be uploaded in the UP Research Data Repository (Figshare). 

Research Data is defined as factual records (numerical scores, textual records, images and sounds) used as primary sources for scientific research, and that are commonly accepted in the scientific community as necessary to validate research findings.

A research data set constitutes a systematic, partial representation of the subject being investigated (OECD Principles and Guidelines for Access to Research Data from Public Funding, 2007).

Research Ethical Clearance

The UP research data repository allow students and researchers to store, archive, and preserve processed data not the raw data. Application for Research Ethical Clearance requires applicants to complete a Data Management Plan (DMP) and specify research data storage. In their DMPs, applicants can indicate that they will store the processed data in UP’s research data repository. UP provides loads of storage space on Google Drive to its students and researchers where they can store their unpublished raw data. 

Research data may include:

• Documents (text, Word), spreadsheets
• Laboratory notebooks, field notebooks, diaries
• Questionnaires, transcripts, codebooks
• Audiotapes, videotapes
• Photographs, films
• Test responses
• Slides, artefacts, specimens, samples
• Collection of digital objects acquired and generated during the process of research
• Data files
• Database contents (video, audio, text, images)
• Models, algorithms, scripts
• Contents of an application (input, output, logfiles for analysis software, simulation software, schemas)
• Methodologies and workflows.

Graduation requirement

• In line with the RDM and ETD policies, a submission form, submission workflow, ETD guidelines and a guide in describing and documenting research data were developed to assist and guide postgraduate students and supervisors
• To complete the ETD self-submission process, follow the five steps captured in the ETD self-submission guidelines and the Thesis/Dissertation submission workflow  

How to submit datasets?

• To upload processed research data that underpins thesis/dissertation, follow the steps in this guide or watch this video and then proceed to the UP Research Data Repository

Postgraduate Students are required to submit the following:

• Thesis approval/submission form in PDF(signed by the student and the supervisor)
• UPSpace handle/link (link is generated after submitting the final approved thesis/dissertation on UPSpace)
• The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) (generated after uploading supplementary material like datasets, research instruments, figures and tables) of the final approved thesis on Figshare. Example of the DOI: https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.20227740.v1 

Send the above to rdm@up.ac.za, and upspace@up.ac.za