Documenting Research Data
This guide is a collection of resources shared in Data Services' "Documenting Your Research Data" online modules
Data Services Profile
We are here to help you find, use, manage, visualize and share your data. Contact us to schedule a consultation. View and register for upcoming workshops. Visit our website to learn more about our services.
General, Overview-Style Resources on Data Documentation
- Data Management for Researchers: Organize, maintain and share your data for research success: This guide to research data management provides practical examples on research documentation and organization.
- USGS Data Management Website - Describe: The United States Geological Survey website contains guidance on what are metadata (documentation) and how to create it, including through the use of data dictionaries.
- Managing Qualitative Data Module from the Social Science Research Council and the Qualitative Data Repository: interactive lessons on the principles of data documentation and documentation in practice. While oriented towards social science, the advice is general enough to be useful for all types of research.
- Cessda Data Management Expert Guide: Using tabular data sets as examples, free training module on how to document data at both the project and data set level.
Types of Documentation
- Codebook Cookbook: Practical guidance on how to create a codebook using Excel examples.
- Data Dictionaries: Created by the USGS, educational overview of data dictionaries including multiple examples.
- README Files:
- README Txt: Blog about the purpose of README files for research data and suggestions on what to include in one.
- README template from Georgia Tech
- README editor: Allows you to quickly add and customize all the sections you need for your project's readme in R Markdown