Take into account the following issues in storing data and its planning:
Additionally you should make sure that sharing research data between different actors is as easy as possible. The goal is to guarantee the findability and usability of the research data even after the end of the project, if possible.
Ensuring data security is an essential part of storing data. Ensuring data security requires, among other things, compliance with the organisation's data security guidelines and various technical measures to ensure the reliable storage of data.
Systematic organisation and documentation of the data make it easier to find and use the project data during the project and create the conditions for the possible further use of the data.
To make sure the file names are understandable, ask your colleague if they understand what the file contains based on the name alone.
A well-designed and clearly named folder structure makes it easier to organise and find information. An intuitive structure provides an overview of the project content and ensures that current and future project group members understand what information is available.
Start planning the folder structure early in the project so that the structure will support the needs of the project in the best way possible. Using a logical folder structure across all projects improves the efficiency and consistency of data management.
If necessary, you can use the examples below as a model and choose the subfolders that suit your own project. Keep in mind that you can also create user-specific subfolders in addition to public folders. NOTE: If you have several projects running at the same time, it is good to name the parent folder with the name of the project instead of just the word project.
project/
raw data/
documentation/
processed_data/
subfolder_1/
subfolder_2/
outputs/
project/
code/ code needed to go from input files to final results
data/ primary data
raw/ raw data, never edit!
meta/
doc/ documentation of the study
intermediate/ output files from intermediate analysis steps
logs/ logs from the different analysis steps
notebooks/ notebooks that document your day-to-day work
results/ output from workflows and analyses
figures/
reports/
tables/
scratch/ temporary files that can safely be deleted
README.txt file and folder description
There are various options available for the staff of Turku University of Applied Sciences for storing, opening, and sharing research data. Some of these are services maintained and supported by Turku UAS, while others are recommended services maintained and supported by CSC (IT Center for Science, Finland).
When choosing a suitable service, consider for example what kind of data you are storing, how much there is of it, and who needs to be able to access and process it.
Taking care of data security is always important, but it is especially crucial when dealing with sensitive data. Data security is ensured when your actions prevent the accidental or intentional destruction, damage, alteration, or theft of the data, and when you manage access and user rights appropriately.
Using backups is part of data security. Keep more than one copy of the data in different locations so you will not lose all your work if the file you are working on is accidentally or intentionally destroyed.
More information: FSD: Data Management Guidelines – Physical data storage.
CSC offers a wide range of digital solutions to support research, development, and teaching activities in higher education institutions. To use these services, you have to register with the My CSC service using your HAKA credentials. Once registered, you can create a project and apply for access rights to suitable digital solutions provided by CSC. You can learn more about how to get started with My CSC by reading the instructions provided by CSC.
CSC provides solutions for different purposes and for various types of data. All CSC services are suitable for processing personal data, but sensitive personal data may only be processed in services specifically designed for handling that type of data. You can find CSC’s storage services below under the tabs CSC data services and CSC services for sensitive data.
If you have questions about selecting or implementing a suitable digital solution, you can contact Turku UAS Data Support at datasupport@turkuamk.fi. CSC also provides support for its services at servicedesk@csc.fi.
The tabs below list key storage locations for research data, categorised by different use cases. The services are organised into separate tables based on whether they can be used to process sensitive personal data or sensitive/confidential data. Some of the services are provided by Turku University of Applied Sciences, while others are provided by CSC for all higher education institutions.
| Turku UAS storage services for staff | Purpose of use | Sharing | Backup | Version control |
| Home (Z) | Personal storage space, available only on the Turku UAS network | No | Yes | No |
| Group (R) | Storage space for research groups and projects, available only on the Turku UAS network | With limitations | Yes | No |
| B2DROP | A cloud-based storage space primarily intended for storing data generated and processed in RDI projects. Log in with Haka credentials. To request additional storage space, contact datasupport (at) turkuamk.fi. | Yes | No | Yes |
| Teams (Sharepoint) | A cloud-based storage space for groups, primarily intended for internal group communication and working on shared documents. | Yes | No | Yes |
| OneDrive | Personal storage space primarily intended for storing, working on, and sharing documents. | Yes | No | Yes |
| CSC's services for accessing, storing and sharing data | Purpose of use | More information |
| Fairdata IDA | A general storage service for various research materials. The service supports the opening of research materials, but closed research materials can also be stored in the service after the project has ended. | Fairdata IDA |
| Fairdata Qvain | A tool for describing research data. The service can be used to describe data stored in the IDA service, but it can also be used to describe data stored elsewhere. The metadata of the described research data can be viewed in Fairdata Etsin service. | Qvain |
| Fairdata PAS | A service for long-term storage of research materials for tens and even hundreds of years. The suitability of the material for storage in the service is assessed before a decision is made on long-term storage. | PAS |
| cPouta | A service that allows you to use virtual machines, storage and high-performance computing for various needs. Enables, for example, the development of services and platforms as part of RDI projects. Infrastructure-as-a-service type storage and processing/computing environment. | cPouta |
| Funet Filesender | A browser-based data sharing service that can be used to transfer files up to 300 gigabytes in size. | Funet Filesender |
| CSC's services for storing and sharing sensitive data | Purpose of use | More information |
| SD Services | A secure service package for storing, sharing and analyzing sensitive data among RDI project members. Suitable for use while the research is active. | SD Services |
| ePouta | A solution that can be connected to the university's internal network, providing the project with the ability to use virtual machines and storage for sensitive data. An Infrastructure as a Service-type storage and processing/computing environment. | ePouta |
This guide covers the Turku UAS instructions on data management.
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