Open Access Post-Graduate Teaching Materials in Managing Research Data in Archaeology

Key Info
URL - the landing page for the learning resource: 
https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/learning/DataTrain.xhtml
Description - a brief synopsis, abstract or summary of what the learning resource is about: 

Looking after digital data is central to good research. We all know of horror stories of people losing or deleting their entire dissertation just weeks prior to a deadline! But even before this happens, good practice in looking after research data from the beginning to the end of a project makes work and life a lot less stressful. Defined in the widest sense, digital data includes all files created or manipulated on a computer (text, images, spreadsheets, databases, etc). With publishing and archiving of research increasingly online we all have a responsibility to ensure the long-term preservation of archaeological data, while at same time being aware of issues of sensitive data, intellectual property rights, open access, and freedom of information.
The DataTrain teaching materials have been designed to familiarise post-graduate students in good practice in looking after their research data. A central tenet is the importance of thinking about this in conjunction with the projected outputs and publication of research projects. The eight presentations, followed by group discussion and written exercises, follow the lifecycle of digital data from pre-project planning, data creation, data management, publication, long-term preservation and lastly to issues of the re-use of digital data. At the same time the course follows the career path of researchers from post-graduate research students, through post-doctoral research projects, to larger collaborative and inter-disciplinary projects.
The teaching material is targeted at co-ordinators of Core Research Skills courses for first year post-graduate research students in archaeology. The material is open access and you are invited to re-use and amend the content as best suits the requirements of your university department. The complete course is designed to run either as a four hour half-day workshop, or 2 x 2 hour classes. Alternatively, individual modules can be slotted into existing data management and core research skills teaching.

Authoring Person(s) Name: 
Lindsay Lloyd-Smith
Elin Stangeland
Stuart Jeffrey
Sian Lazar
Irene Peano
Cameron Petrie
Grant Young
Authoring Organization(s) Name: 
Archaeology Data Service
License - link to legal statement specifying the copyright status of the learning resource: 
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic - CC BY 2.0
Access Cost: 
No fee
Primary language(s) in which the learning resource was originally published or made available: 
English
More info about
Keywords - short phrases describing what the learning resource is about: 
Data archiving
Data lifecycle
Data management
Data policy
Subject Discipline - subject domain(s) toward which the learning resource is targeted: 
Physical Sciences and Mathematics: Earth Sciences
Physical Sciences and Mathematics: Environmental Sciences
Created: 
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Publisher - organization credited with publishing or broadcasting the learning resource: 
Archaeology Data Service
Media Type - designation of the form in which the content of the learning resource is represented, e.g., moving image: 
Dataset - collection of information organized in logical record and block structures for use by a computer.
Contact Person(s): 
Elin Stangelan
Contact Organization(s): 
Archaeology Data Service
Educational Info
Purpose - primary educational reason for which the learning resource was created: 
Instruction - detailed information about aspects or processes related to data management or data skills.
Learning Resource Type - category of the learning resource from the point of view of a professional educator: 
Course - series of units and lessons used to teach the skills and knowledge required by its curriculum.
Target Audience - intended audience for which the learning resource was created: 
Graduate student
Undergraduate student
Intended time to complete - approximate amount of time the average student will take to complete the learning resource: 
More than 1 hour (but less than 1 day)