While there’s a growing recognition in the value of data archiving and public availability of research data for reuse, putting things into practice is proving a long, slow process. One of the biggest stumbling points is that researchers only rarely receive formal training in data management, and are often left to work out their own schemes for how they will collect and store information. This can result in a beautifully organized information resource that is designed for long term access, or in a haphazard set of poorly labeled files found strewn across a variety of obsolete devices and hard drives.
Data availability and re-usability starts with best practices in collecting and storing data in the first place. The exasperatingly funny video below shows what happens when those best practices are ignored, something that’s much more prevalent than it should be.
Thanks to Seth Denbo for sending this video along.