Getting Started with Archiving
Permanent retention, or archiving, implies ongoing migration of electronic formats and storage costs, as well as care, maintenance and access services for the records in perpetuity. This is not the same as ensuring long-term storage or preservation of research data, and takes significant investment for an institution.
To help you Evaluate and Archive your data:
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The Archives and Records Management can assist with the archival appraisal process to help determine whether your research data and related records are of historic value.
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A small percentage of data and related records might be identified for permanent storage as a part of the historical record of a discipline or institution, or as Intellectual Property.
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Long-term storage and preservation seeks to ensure that research data will be available to those who seek it in a persistent and accessible format for the specific period of time outlined by your funder and parent institution. These Data Retention periods also allow for a measured period of time to pass so that a better assessment of the long-term impact of a research project can be evaluated.
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Knowing which data and records are safe to dispose can be complicated to determine. For any Data Destruction, you must consult the General Records Schedule and the Harvard University Archives.