Research Data Management Strategy

Why does CNC have an RDM Strategy?

The purpose of this strategy is to ensure that research conducted on behalf of CNC accords with the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy. Research Data Management (RDM) is important to ensure effective use of public research funds, accountability to appropriately manage research data, replicability of research studies, and robust communication of research results.

The Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy requires that post-secondary institutions publish an RDM Strategy that reflects institutional capacity and needs. CNC encourages a wide range of research activities focused on local and regional partnership. Collaborating to provide data management resources, tools, and protocols to CNC researchers is important for expanding CNC’s capabilities to conduct quality research.

Sound RDM aligns with CNC’s strategic commitments to organizational agility and responsiveness to community needs. Adapting systems to ensure that CNC staff have clear expectations about data storage and access will improve the institution’s overall capacity to conduct quality research. Further, ensuring research data is accessible and re-useable will improve effective knowledge transfer to CNC’s partners in research.

CNC understands the importance of balancing data security and confidentiality with the availability of research data. Sound data management practices should mean that research data is broadly accessible. This strategy commits to making research data as accessible as possible while still abiding by the ethical and contractual obligations to funders, partners, and relevant communities.

Principles

CNC supports the following RDM principles outlined by the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy:

Recognizing data as an important research output
Supporting researchers in their efforts to establish and implement data management practices that are consistent with ethical, legal and commercial obligations, as well as tri-agency requirements, including the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – 2nd edition, the Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research, and other relevant policies
Promoting the importance of data management to researchers, staff and students
Guiding their researchers on how to properly manage data in accordance with the principles outlined in the Tri-Agency Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management, including the development of data management plans
Committing to the adoption of established best practices when developing institutional standards and policies for data management plans
Providing, or supporting access to, repository services or other platforms that securely preserve, curate and provide appropriate access to research data
Recognizing that data created in the context of research by and with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, collectives and organizations will be managed according to principles developed and approved by those communities, collectives and organizations, and in partnership with them
Recognizing that a distinctions-based approach is needed to ensure that the unique rights, interests and circumstances of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit are acknowledged, affirmed, and implemented.

Implementing RDM at CNC will mean adherence to FAIR Principles for data management:

Findable: Data can be found using consistent identifiers and naming conventions
Accessible: The protocol to access data is clear to those with permission to access it
Interoperable: Data is formatted such that it can be integrated with other data or into existing workflows
Reusable: Research data is maintained so that it can be re-analyzed in future research

Definitions

This strategy recognizes the following key definitions as defined by the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy.

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