Research Data Management Definitions

The following definitions are helpful to create a shared understanding of key terms in this DMS. The definitions were obtained from the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy.

Data may be in any format or medium taking the form of text, numbers, symbols, images, films, video, sound recordings, pictorial reproductions, drawings, designs or other graphical representations, procedural manuals, forms, diagrams, workflows, equipment descriptions, data files, data processing algorithms, software, programming languages, code, or statistical records. Data are facts, measurements, recordings, records, or observations collected by researchers and others, with a minimum of contextual interpretation.

What is considered relevant research data is often highly contextual and determining what counts as such should be guided by disciplinary norms. Research data may be experimental data, observational data, operational data, third party data, public sector data, monitoring data, processed data, or repurposed data. Research data are used as primary sources to support research, scholarship, or creative practice, and a