BIOLOGY 152: Introductory Biology (Fall 2025) : Managing Your Research Data

Research Data Management Tips

It's never too early to start learning about best practices for managing your project data! Establishing good habits now will help you as you move through your education and career.

Here are 5 top tips for data management to ensure data longevity and usefulness:

3-2-1-0 rule for data backup. 3 copies of your data in 2 different locations on more than 1 type of storage hardware. 0 USB drives used.
Use open file formats. TXT, CSV, TIF, etc. Avoid proprietary formats when possible.
Organize and name files meaningfully. Avoid special characters and spaces in folder and file names. Use names that describe the contents of a file, selecting 3-4 key pieces of information.
Document your research process. Create a README file, give your work context to be able to go back later and know what you did.
Have a plan and stick with it!

Where to Learn More About Data Management

In addition to these tips, the UW-Madison Research Data Services and the Libraries also provide lots of information on how to find, manage, and reuse research data. Even if you've never worked with research data before, these resources will help you get started.

Learn About Data Management
Curious about a particular aspect of data management? This page covers the basics, including file naming, versioning, storage, and sharing.
Finding, Reusing, and Citing Data
Best practices and resources for finding and reusing data, including how to cite your data sources.
Introduction to Research Data Management
This micro-course covers the reasons to invest time and effort into good data management and then introduces best practices that you can start building into your research process immediately.