Module 5 – Data handling

Follow this module to learn how to correctly curate experimental data

After completing it, you should be able to:

  • Identify risks relating to data governance and data integrity
  • Mitigate data integrity risks, having conducted data integrity risk assessments.
  • Describe various methods for dealing with outliers and explain when these methods are appropriate
  • Describe various methods for dealing with missing data and explain when these methods are appropriate
  • Correctly document data and describe procedures used for data handling, e.g. how missing data were imputed or how outliers were determined
  • Explain the benefits of data sharing

Core materials

Material 1 – Recording data

Study this material to learn about:

  • The basics of proper data recording and storage
  • The importance of calibrating instruments

Type: Knowledge clip
Duration: 5 minutes
Created by: Healthcare triage

Material 2 – Best practices in scientific data management and reporting

Study this material to learn about:

  • The importance of good record keeping and data management
  • Pros and cons of electronic and paper lab journals
  • Recommendations for data sharing and how to overcome hurdles

Type: webinar
Duration: 60 minutes
Speakers: Rita Balice-Gordon, Elizabeth Buffalo and Katja Brose
Created by: Society for Neuroscience, featured in the Promoting Awareness and Knowledge to Enhance Scientific Rigor in Neuroscience webinar series

Material 3 – data integrity I: the ALCOA principles

Study this material to learn about:

  • Improving the integrity of your data using the ALCOA principles

Type: weblecture
Duration: 10 minutes
Speaker: Martin Michel
Created by: EQIPD

Material 4 – data integrity II: the ALCOA-plus and FAIR principles

Study this material to learn about:

  • Improving the integrity of your data using the ALCOA-plus and FAIR principles

Type: weblecture
Duration: 10 minutes
Speaker: Martin Michel
Created by: EQIPD


Bonus materials

Bonus 1 – Why data sharing and reuse are hard to do

Study this material to learn about data reuse challenges, including determining:

  • what data could be reused
  • by whom (expertise required)
  • with whom (collaborative environments)
  • under what conditions (issues of data quality and curation)
  • why (needs for data integration, control and comparison)
  • and to what effects (types of analysis)

Type: webinar
Duration: 60 minutes
Speakers: Christine Borgman and Irene Pasquetto
Created by: NIH Big Data 2 Knowledge Training Coördinating Centre


Additional resources

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