How can you optimize research data to drive impact?
As a laboratory manager, you know that research data is a valuable asset that can generate insights, publications, collaborations, and funding. But how can you optimize your data to drive impact and demonstrate your lab's contribution to science and society? In this article, we will share some tips and best practices to help you manage, organize, share, and communicate your research data effectively.
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Dennis OdoiBiomedical Scientist || Public Health Enthusiast || Maternal and Child Health Advocate || Reproductive Health Advocate…
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Arslan ArshadMedical Laboratory Professional | Quality Assurance | Biosafety | Biosecurity | Bioethics | One Health | Planetary…
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Cornellia M.Analytical,Customer service,Critical thinking,Communication
A data management plan (DMP) is a document that outlines how you will collect, store, process, analyze, and share your data throughout the research lifecycle. A DMP can help you plan ahead, avoid data loss or corruption, comply with ethical and legal requirements, and increase the reproducibility and reuse of your data. You can use online tools, such as DMPonline or DMPTool, to create and update your DMP according to the standards and expectations of your funders and publishers.
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Dennis Odoi
Biomedical Scientist || Public Health Enthusiast || Maternal and Child Health Advocate || Reproductive Health Advocate || Entrepreneur || Certified Google Digital Marketer
A Data Management Plan (DMP) serves as a tool to optimize research data and drive impactful outcomes. By outlining clear guidelines for data organization, storage, sharing, and preservation, it ensures that research data is efficiently managed throughout the research lifecycle. This optimization enhances data quality, accessibility, and reproducibility, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers. It aids in complying with ethical standards and regulatory requirements, instilling confidence in the validity of research findings. Ultimately, an effectively implemented DMP not only maximizes the impact of research data but also contributes to the advancement of knowledge within the scientific community and beyond.
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Cornellia M.
Analytical,Customer service,Critical thinking,Communication
A DMP will be serve as a guideline and major to collect, manage, analyse and store data collected safely. It an SOP to the research project and following to the dot will ensure the project success. Subject selection, data collection, analysis and safe storage and access to data will be included in DMP ensuring minimal errors when followed accordingly.
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Arslan Arshad
Medical Laboratory Professional | Quality Assurance | Biosafety | Biosecurity | Bioethics | One Health | Planetary Health | ISO 15189 | Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy with Proficient Lab Practices
A Data Management Plan (DMP) describes the data captured throughout the research lifecycle, assists in planning, mitigating loss, ensuring compliance, and optimizing data replication Tools such as DMPonline or DMPTool help create and execute DMPs based on investor and publisher criteria.
Data organization and documentation are essential for ensuring the quality, integrity, and accessibility of your data. You should use consistent and meaningful file names, formats, and folders to organize your data and avoid confusion or duplication. You should also document your data with metadata, codebooks, readme files, and protocols that describe the context, content, and methods of your data collection and analysis. You can use standard vocabularies, ontologies, and formats, such as Dublin Core or FAIR principles, to make your data more discoverable and interoperable.
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Arslan Arshad
Medical Laboratory Professional | Quality Assurance | Biosafety | Biosecurity | Bioethics | One Health | Planetary Health | ISO 15189 | Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy with Proficient Lab Practices
Ensure data quality, integrity, and accessibility by using consistent file names, formats, and folders to avoid confusion. Document data using metadata, codebooks, readme files, and protocols that detail collection and analysis. Increase visibility and communication by adhering to established terms such as Dublin Core or FAIR principles.
Data sharing and archiving are important for increasing the visibility, impact, and citation of your research. You should consider the benefits and challenges of sharing your data openly or under certain conditions, such as licensing, embargo, or access restrictions. You should also choose a suitable repository or platform to deposit your data, such as Zenodo, Figshare, or Dryad, that can provide a persistent identifier, such as a DOI, and ensure the long-term preservation and curation of your data. You should also cite your data properly and link it to your publications and other outputs.
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Arslan Arshad
Medical Laboratory Professional | Quality Assurance | Biosafety | Biosecurity | Bioethics | One Health | Planetary Health | ISO 15189 | Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy with Proficient Lab Practices
Increase research visibility, impact, and citations by carefully considering open data sharing or conditional access through licenses or restrictions. Choose a repository such as Zenodo, Figshare, or Dryad to provide consistent identification (e.g., DOI) for long-term retention and curation. Make the most of your data and link to publications and other sources to increase acceptance.
Data visualization and communication are powerful ways to showcase your research findings and tell a compelling story to your audiences. You should use appropriate and effective methods and tools to visualize your data, such as graphs, charts, maps, or dashboards, that can highlight the main patterns, trends, and insights of your data. You should also communicate your data clearly and concisely, using plain language, captions, annotations, and narratives, that can convey the relevance, significance, and implications of your data. You can use platforms, such as Tableau, Infogram, or StoryMaps, to create and share interactive and engaging data stories.
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Arslan Arshad
Medical Laboratory Professional | Quality Assurance | Biosafety | Biosecurity | Bioethics | One Health | Planetary Health | ISO 15189 | Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy with Proficient Lab Practices
Use powerful data visualization techniques such as graphs, charts, maps, or dashboards to highlight patterns and insights. Use clear language, themes, claims, and narratives to clearly describe the findings, emphasizing their relevance and significance. Platforms like Tableau, Infogram, or StoryMaps enable you to create and share data stories that are interactive and interesting.
Data impact assessment is a process of measuring and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of your data on your research field and society. You should define your data impact goals and indicators, such as downloads, views, citations, collaborations, or policy changes, that can reflect the value and influence of your data. You should also collect and analyze data impact evidence, such as altmetrics, feedback, testimonials, or case studies, that can demonstrate the use and impact of your data. You can use tools, such as Impactstory, PlumX, or Researchfish, to track and report your data impact.
Data culture and skills are the foundation and enablers of data optimization and impact. You should foster a data culture in your lab that promotes data quality, openness, collaboration, and innovation. You should also develop and enhance your data skills and competencies, such as data literacy, management, analysis, visualization, and communication, that can help you handle and leverage your data effectively. You can use resources, such as DataONE, Data Carpentry, or Coursera, to learn and improve your data skills.
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