Research Data
Research Data and Management
A detailed and accurate research record is the foundation of any research project. The Ohio State University policy on research data states the importance of preserving such records and specifies the responsibilities and rights for access to, use of, maintenance, transfer, and retention of data resulting from scientific research. The Ohio State's Record Management program provides information and guidance for the retention and disposition of records created and maintained by faculty, staff, and students. Appropriate record management ensures that data are available when needed and protected from improper destruction or deletion.
Compliant Electronic Record Keeping
An organized and valid research record is critical should questions arise regarding the accuracy or integrity of the data. Many cases of data falsification, fabrication, and/or authorship disputes and plagiarism, arise when data is not properly managed. While paper-based lab notebooks have worked well for many years, technological advances now allow many research records to be captured digitally. There are tools available to make electronic record-keeping easy and help to ensure that all researchers are compliant with the laws and regulations governing research. Ohio State has implemented LabArchives® for use by all faculty, staff, and students.
LabArchives®
LabArchives is a cloud-based electronic lab notebook that is safe and secure, allowing principal investigators, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, lab managers, staff and collaborators (both internal and external) to create, save, share, and retain research data. Researchers can store any type of data classified as S1-S3 (Public – Private) including, text, tables and images. File or photo attachments can be easily added. This allows researchers to effortlessly organize and share data to validate results, prepare data for publication, easily access data and prevent the loss of data.
NOTE: LabArchives is not approved for any data classified as S4 (Restricted). Data subject to HIPAA regulation or export-controlled data received or generated under a Technology Control Plan would not be allowed in LabArchives.
How do I access LabArchives?
LabArchives is accessed using your Ohio State credentials. Once you have created your LabArchives account, your login process will vary depending on if you are on-campus or off-campus.
LabArchives® Impact on Intellectual Property Rights
The use of LabArchives itself does not impact your IP rights as long as you have not made a public disclosure of your research. A public disclosure is generally any non-confidential oral or written description of the research results (the invention) made available to members of the public. Public disclosures would include telling someone outside of Ohio State about your invention including providing access to your research results in LabArchives by sharing your electronic lab notebook or making any results ‘public’ in that tool. Any “public disclosure” of an invention, when it is not disclosed under a confidential disclosure agreement (CDA) or before a patent application is filed, can lead to a loss of patent rights for the invention.
Additional Information
For questions regarding research data management contact: