What is Research Data?
Answer
Research data is any information that has been collected, observed, generated or created to validate original research findings. Research data may be arranged or formatted in a such a way as to make it suitable for communication, interpretation and processing. Data comes in many formats, both digital and physical.
Common collection modes include:
Observational Data: Data captured in real-time, usually irreplaceable. (Examples: sensor data, telemetry, survey data, or sample data such as neuroimages)
Experimental Data: Data from lab equipment, often reproducible, but can be expensive to replace. (Examples: sequences, chromatograms, or toroidal magnetic field data)
Simulation Data: Data generated from test models where model and metadata are more important than output data. (Examples: climate models or economic models)
Derived or Compiled Data: Data created by combining and processing existing raw data. (Examples: text and data mining, compiled database, 3D models, or
data gathered from public documents)
Other Data: Includes video, sound, text data, or other data types as long as it is used for systematic analysis. (Examples: collection of video interviews use to gather and identify responses, audio interviews, or written documents)