This document provides instructions for documenting a research project and associated data. It outlines the types of documentation that should be created and maintained throughout the project, including data files, project documentation, outputs generated, compliance documentation, and manuscripts. Resources are also listed to help with creating documentation, such as guides on research practices, human subjects research, laboratory notebooks, metadata, and record keeping. The goal is to sufficiently describe the research project and data for future use by colleagues or graduate students.

1. IUPUI University Library Center for Digital Scholarship
Data Management Lab: Spring 2014
Project & Data Documentation: Instructions
Learning Objectives
1. Identify documentation and metadata required to describe data.
Instructions
Keeping in mind the reasons why we document research, create a list of documentation that are
necessary to describe your research project and data. This documentation should be updated
throughout the project. The level of detail should be appropriate for a colleague in your field or a
graduate student exploring the data in 5-10 years.
Types of files generated
1. Data (existing and generated)
2. Project documentation
3. Outputs generated
4. Compliance documentation
5. Manuscripts
Resources
1. Monash University: A Guide to Good Research Practice (Section 5):
http://www.med.monash.edu.au/assets/docs/sphpm/sphpm-grp-guide-v-5.pdf
2. Human Subjects Research Data: Subject-specific and Association and Society Guidelines:
https://library.uoregon.edu/datamanagement/humansubjects.html
3. Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific
Management for Postdocs and New Faculty:
https://www.hhmi.org/sites/default/files/Educational%20Materials/Lab%20Management/Maki
ng%20the%20Right%20Moves/moves2_ch8.pdf
4. Codebook, Institute for Health and Care Research Quality Handbook:
http://emgo.nl/kc/preparation/data%20collection/3%20codebook.html
5. ipHandbook: How to Start – and Keep – A Laboratory Notebook: Policy and Practical Guidelines:
http://www.iphandbook.org/handbook/ch08/p02/
6. NIH: Guidelines for Scientific Record Keeping in the Intramural Research Program:
http://sourcebook.od.nih.gov/ethic-conduct/RECORDKEEPING.pdf
7. NIH: Keeping a lab notebook: Basic Principles & Best Practices:
https://www.training.nih.gov/assets/Lab_Notebook_508_(new).pdf
8. MIT: Guidelines for maintaining your lab notebook: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biological-
engineering/20-109-laboratory-fundamentals-in-biological-engineering-fall-
2007/labs/guide_lab_notebook/
9. Introduction to Metadata: Setting the Stage (Getty Research Institute):
http://www.getty.edu/research/publications/electronic_publications/intrometadata/setting.h
tml
Heather Coates, 2013