What is considered a best practice in managing research data?

Maintaining accurate and organized records is considered a best practice in managing research data because it ensures that data can be easily located, understood, and used by researchers throughout the research process and beyond. This practice fosters transparency, reproducibility, and integrity in research. Accurate records enhance collaboration, as team members can effectively share and build upon each other's work, while organized datasets facilitate compliance with institutional and funding agency requirements. Additionally, it aids in proper data analysis and helps in the efficient retrieval of information when needed for future studies or audits. In contrast, storing data in a personal format may hinder accessibility and usability, using data only for internal purposes may limit the broader impact and sharing of findings, and restricting data access could impede collaboration and transparency.