Objective
This article documents the process and its steps for how LSA Technology Services (LSA TS) will handle and manage abandoned research data, when found.
Example
On rare occasions, LSA Technology Services locates or inherits research data that does not have an assigned principal investigator (PI) or the assigned PI has left the University, and there is no way to contact them, or no one in the department wants the data.
Definition:
Abandoned Research Data: Datasets that no longer have an assigned researcher that can be located in MCommunity, and where no department affiliation can be identified.
Process
Once a research data (s) is identified as abandoned, LSA Technology Services will contact the department where the original PI worked to request a decision on whether to keep the data active or archive to Data Den for the requisite 7 years, as per SPG 303.06, Research Data Stewardship Policy.
An email is sent to the Department Chair and Chief Administrator requesting their assistance on:
- Who, in their department, may want to keep the dataset(s)?
- Providing an answer within 30 days.
Reminder emails are sent out after:
If an answer is received to keep the data active in another PI's Turbo volume, the data is transferred in coordination with that PI.
If no answer is received or no other PI wishes to keep the data, the data is archived in Data Den and a confirmed email is sent to the department.
The dataset (s) will transferred to LSA TS' Data Den storage volume. The amount of data, original PI's name, date of archival, date of last file modification are documented by LSA TS to track archival status.
To prevent further abandoned or orphaned datasets, when a PI plans to leave the University, the offboarding process ensures that all research data is either assigned to another PI or archived and sent to Data Den before their departure.