RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT

Why manage your data?

The university recognizes the importance of research data and RDM for the integrity and quality of research. When done well, it improves viibility of the research and gives more opportunity for collaboration and exchange. Managing data is important throughout the whole cycle to be able to preserve, share and re-use the data. It also discourages redundancy and increases efficiency in the research.

Our data policy

The RDM policy defines the general guidelines and responsabilities for the different involved parties and concerns all research projects executed by VUB Researchers. 

What's a Data Management Plan (DMP)?

It's a formal document that outlines what you will do with your data during and after the research project.
This is usually made during the planning stage of your research. Some funders (like FWO and EC) require you to make one for your application and revise it after a certain amount of time.
See the website below for templates or contact us at dmp@vub.be for any further questions.

Open Data

Open data is the idea that some data should be freely available to the public to use and republish as they wish, without the usual restrictions (copyright, patents, etc). It allows for more collaboration between researchers, as well as an easier opportunity to find relevant data for your project. The VUB encourages researchers to open their data using the FAIR principles in a discipline specific repository whenever possible.

FAIR stands for:

• Findable 
  Rich metadata with a unique persistent identifier registered in a searchable resource.
   
• Accessible 
  Retrievable using a standardized communications protocol that is open and free.
   
• Interoperable 
  Using formal, accessible and broadly applicable language and vocabularies.
   
• Re-usable 
  Released with a clear and accessible license, meets domain-relevant community standards and has a plurality of relevant attributes.

Open access

This refers to providing access to scientific output, to consult, download index or disclose, free of charge or technical barriers. The VUB facilitates green Open Access by offering a repository accesible through the PURE interface. Making the results of your research free and online available increases visibility and use by the international community and helps establishing a dynamic science culture.

If you want morge information on whether you can open your specific research you can consult the webpage of the Legal & Ethics Office

What is PURE?

PURE is the Current research Information System (CRIS) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. 
It contains all information regarding research conducted at the university and is the unique source for all reports on research.

Why use PURE?

PURE is used to manage research projects at R&D back-office, to create reports and to disclose research information to the general public. Pure is the central database of all research output at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. This data can be used for:

• managing your pubications, activities, media participation, etc...
• create and maintain your CV's
• increase your researches' visibility  throught the PURE portal 
• display information on your (departmental) website (e.g. via HTML download)
• statistics & information (reporting to VABB-SHW, FWO, funding, etc...

Who can use PURE?

All VUB Staff members have access to Pure. You can use your NetID (e.g. 'jjansens') to log in to Pure.
If you're not a member of staff but you need access to Pure (eg. PhD students, EhB staff members) you can request an "affiliated member" status via the secretarial office of your faculty.
Please note that PhD students who do not have a staff affiliation need to request an "affiliated member" status in order to access Pure. This can be requested via the secretariat of your faculty in agreement with your promotor. This status is valid for 2 years. As a PhD student you will need access to Pure if you want to use the scientific section of your PhD Portfolio, seen as this will be populated with content from Pure.

Researchers of the University Hospital can log in with their 'UZB account' as long as you do not have a NetID. If you have both, you can only log in with your NetID.

Training & workshops

The RDM team offers a variety of resources depending on the need of researchers.
The VUB LRN website includes learning resources on RDM and we offer you a list of online resources below. 
Requests for group training or workshops can be sent to us via email or phone, which you can find in the contact page.

Quick Start

• Crash Course (10 min)
• Social Science data sharing (10 min)
• Bristol Bootcamp (30 min)
• DCC checklist (10 min)
• Open data tree (2 min)
• ICL guide (3 min)
   

In depth

• Coursera general (several days)
• Coursera clinical (several days)
• CESSDA guide (15 hrs)
• Github open source guide (3,5 hrs)
• Open Science Training Handbook
• EBI webinar for life science (4h)

DMP & RDM Support

VUB provides support for the creation of DMP's for our researchers. You can find the templates for the FWO & EC on this page, and while it is otherwise not mandatory, we do encourage everyone to use the DMPOnline tool to create your own DMP.

Part of the Research Data Management Office's responsabilities is to help develop data management policies. If your faculty, research department or group would like to set up an official data management policy, please contact us with any queries or support.

Support for Pure (incl. reporting):
rd.databank@vub.ac.be

Support for DMP:
dmp@vub.be

• Amal Alsamman
  Reporting & Monitoring Analyst
  T +32 (0) 629 1121
  Email: Amal.Alsamman@vub.be
   
• Lucy Mieke Amez
  Policy Advisor Scientific Publications, Bibliometrics & Open Science
  T +32 (0) 629 2221
  Email: Lucy.Amez@vub.be
   
• Elisa Maes
  Head of research Information & Data Management
  T +32 2 629 34 60
  Email: Elisa.Maes@vub.be
   
• Stefanie Van Rysseghem
  Information Manager Pure
  T +32 (0) 629 1303
  Email: Stefanie.Van.Rysseghem@vub.be  
   
• Niek Van Wettere
  Research Information & Data Management
  T +32 2 629 11 07
  Email: Niek.Van.Wettere@vub.be