SEWALL LAB DATA MANAGEMENT POLICY
All data collected in the lab are the property of Virginia Tech and are under the purvey of the PI. All data must be entered, archived, and backed up in accordance with data management plans for all funding bodies and the policies laid out, here. All data must be entered on the Sewall Lab Google Drive within 1 week of collection and backed up with external hard drives. Lab and field notebooks or paper data sheets must be scanned and archived on the Sewall Lab Drive and backed up on external hard drives within 1 week of data collection. All original hard copies of data must remain in the main lab room and permanently archived in the Sewall Lab. It is essential that all data are carefully entered and maintained. Tampering with data or failing to enter data are grounds for dismissal from the lab without warning.
Upon departure from the lab, members may request permission from the PI to make copies of data and work on ongoing collaboration with the PI and others. Permission to work on any data must be renewed monthly via email with the PI after departure from the lab and failure to request and receive permission for ongoing work is automatically a relinquishment of rights of use and authorship on any presentations or publications resulting from the data.
To work with any data file you may download the file if given permission but immediately resave it with the current date so you cannot corrupt the original. Prior version will be moved to the appropriate ‘archive’ folder when you re-upload the newest version of a file.
All Master and Project files in excel must have a sheet called ‘meta data’ that defines every variable (column name) and explains how the measure was made including the unit and accuracy of the measure.
File Types:
Census file: these files contain the records of all individuals of a given species ever used in the lab. These files serve as references for all the instances/observations of a given bird and contain information about the projects, dates, and samples we have for an individual. These files do not contain analyzable data but will direct you to find the data records for a particular bird.
Compiled over multiple years - data entered after each season/project
Contain information about all instances/observations - each line/row is a single observation/encounter so individuals will have multiple rows
Use this file to find Master and Project files with the data you need, as well as for archiving and finding samples (e.g., blood, tissue, recordings, videos)
You may download a census file to make entries but save it immediately with the current date. You may not keep a census file on your personal computer.
Example:
Master files: these are files with all the data from a species for an entire year and must not be corrupted. For zebra finches this file will contain all data ever collected for our colony. These files contain all data with variables in columns and individual observations in rows - again, individuals will have multiple rows if they are captured on multiple dates in a single year/project. There will be many columns because every variable (plasma volume, CORT, T, response to STI, mass, tarsus, etc.) for an entire season/project will be entered.
Compiled data of all forms for a specific year/season
Contain information about all instances/observations - each line/row is a single observation/encounter so individuals will have multiple rows
You may download a master file to work with (and convert to a project file) but you must immediately rename the file on your computer so the original version is not corrupted.
When entering data you will save the downloaded version with the days date and move the old version to the archived folder when you upload the new version. Data must be entered into Master Files at regular intervals or at the end of every field season/project.
For variables not collected in a given observation fields but be entered ‘NA’ (both capitals with no punctuation) to distinguish from a value of 0 (there will be a lot of NA entries).
You may not keep a Master file on your own computer - you must convert it to a Project file.
Example:
Project/Analysis Files: these files contain the data for specific projects and are formatted for analysis. There can be multiple versions of project files and you can delete redundant or irrelevant data for your analysis as long as the Master file remains uncorrupted. However, you must upload the final version of your Project File and associated script in the file for publication when you reach that stage.
Files are formatted by different users for their specific analysis - files must include date modified and researcher initials in the title to keep versions separate.
Redundant or irrelevant data can be deleted because all the data are saved in the Master file.
To create a Project file, download the Master file and immediately rename it as a project file. You may keep project files on your own computer and work with them however you like, as long as you upload your final version for publication.
There will only be one Census File and one Master File per year, but could be many Project/Analysis files
You are responsible for backing up your own versions of project files
Raw Data: all raw data (scans of notebooks and data entry sheets, videos, recordings, photographs, etc.) must be uploaded in a separate raw data folder for each year or overarching project. Standard lab protocols do not need to be uploaded if they are in the Lab Protocols folder but should be referenced in lab/field notebooks.
Advice on managing data:
https://www.data.cam.ac.uk/data-management-guide/organising-your-data
https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2016/08/22/ten-commandments-for-good-data-management/
Data archiving plan:
When a project is complete and has been published...
Make sure a copy of the manuscript, final data with meta data explanation, and copy of analysis code are saved in the Sewall Shared Google Drive
Write all data files and raw data to RAD drive (with mirrored hard drives)
Write a copy of all files from your projects to your own external hard drive
Lab Team Agreement:
Kendra Sewall 7/22/22
Charlotte Tury 09/06/22
09/06/2022 Samuel J Lane
Taylor Fossett 09/06/2022
Casey L. McLaughlin 09/06/2022