Data management for RDI

What happens to the data after the project?

In Metropolia's RDI activities, various research and other result data are produced. No data should be left  in the project’s temporary storage spaces after the project has ended. Therefore, when a project is nearing its end, proceed as follows:

1. Review all the materials and data produced in your project. Separate the following:

   • Project management documents, which should be archived in the Dynasty case management system.
   • Research and development data.
   • Other materials, such as communication, learning and presentation materials, and working or original versions of published materials.

2. For each data set or material, consider whether it should be destroyed at the end of the project or retained, and for how long.

3. For unpublished data, consider whether it can be made publicly available. Metropolia encourages the reuse of data either through openness or commercialization.

   • Opening Research Data

4. Report your research and development data to data catalog, if such were produced in the project.
5. Store project management documents in Dynasty.
   • More information can be found on the OMA case management page (Intranet, login required).

6. Transfer research and development data, as well as other result materials that need to be retained, to Metropolia’s data repository, Metta.

   • Preserving the data in Metta

7. Finally, destroy the data that is no longer needed.

   • How to delete files securely - instructions on the IT Services website

When is data catalogue notification required

1. The project has produced or collected research or development data, meaning data that is gathered or created for the purpose of conducting research or development work, and upon which the results are based. More information about research and development data.
   • However, this does not include: publications, learning materials, communication materials, reference literature, or project management documents. See the other materials from RDI projects.
2. Metropolia owns the data or shares ownership rights to it.
3. The notification must be made before the project is concluded.

Why do we collect metadata in the data catalogue?

Reporting data to the data catalogue

1. Log in to Justus with your Metropolia credentials.
2. Select Datasets from the top menu and choose Save a new dataset.
3. Create a separate notification for each data set, meaning material that forms a cohesive dataset. A data set can consist of one or more files.

You can browse and explore the public metadata of datasets produced at Metropolia, as well as those from other universities and research organizations, on the Research.fi portal. Internal metadata is visible to Metropolia personnel in Justus.

Data destruction

Unnecessary files should be destroyed at the end of the project. If you are studying people, you will need to specify when and how the data will be destroyed when informing the participants.

If the research or development data contains personal or other confidential information, these details must be destroyed as soon as they are no longer needed, as they pose a data privacy risk.

The staff computers have the BitLocker feature enabled, which encrypts the computer's hard drive. In this case, deleting the files and emptying the recycle bin is sufficient for data destruction.

Please note that in devices where the BitLocker feature is not enabled (such as personal computers or external storage), simply deleting files is not enough for data destruction. Confidential files must be overwritten. There are free software programs available for file overwriting, and using them is not difficult (see Video: Overwrite Files and Folders). It is also possible to physically destroy the storage device, in which case you can take the device to the nearest helpdesk. Please mention if the device contains confidential data.

Paper-based materials should be placed in a secure disposal bin.

Preserving the data in Metta

Metta is the storage system for research data and other outcomes at Metropolia. Research and result data preserved at Metropolia are stored in Metta at the end of the project, unless they are published openly. Metta can store almost any research and result data from RDI activities that need to be centrally preserved after the project has ended.

Project management documents are not stored in Metta; they are archived in Dynasty.

Preserving the data requires a few steps, so it is advisable to allocate sufficient time before the project ends. Data support are available to assist you with these steps. Good data management during the project reduces workload in the final stages.

Follow these steps:

1. Request the storage of your data in Metta using the e-form.
2. While waiting for the storage space to be created, prepare the data for storing. Note that the data must be anonymised unless an agreement has been made with the data support regarding the preservation of personal data.

Other materials in the RDI project

In RDI projects, various types of materials are generated, each with different requirements and regulations when the project ends. In addition to research and development data, the materials that are produced in RDI projects include:

• Project management documents such as contracts, funding application and decision, research and data management plan, payment applications and decisions, audit reports and financial statements, procurement process documents, evaluation and meeting minutes.
  • Project management documents are to be archived into the case management system Dynasty.
  • More information about document management (OMA intranet).
• Publications that the project has produced and published in chosen channels.
  • If the publication meets the criteria for publication data collection, a publication notification should be made in Justus.
  • If the publication has been published in a channel that ceases to exist when the project ends, for example, the project website or a YouTube channel, the publication can be parallel deposited in the Theseus repository.
  • More information about publication reporting (OMA intranet).
• Learning materials that the project has produced.
  • It is recommended to publish them in the Library of Open Educational Resources (aoe.fi).
  • Library of Open Educational Resources (aoe.fi).

Why we collect metadata in the data catalogue

A wide variety of research data is produced within Metropolia. We need consolidated information about its existence, location and quality. The purpose of our metadata procedure is to promote the management, reusability, openness and quality of data. 

Benefits for you

• Your data becomes visible: the data receives a dataset page in the national research.fi website. 
• The data receives a persistent identifier (URN or DOI), making it possible to cite the data.
• Information on past research enables the re-use of data.
• Can generate contacts and cooperation proposals from operators interested in the data.
• If the data is openly available, it can be linked to the metadata.
• Research data, especially open data, is considered a merit just like publications. 
• You can easily find information on data produced in different Metropolia projects.