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Data management in Sports and Nutrition

Data management plan

A data management plan (DMP) helps a researcher consider and locate challenges that they might encounter when working with data. This includes questions of ownership, responsibility, identifying the types of data that will be collected, how and where to store it, who will have access to the data, and what should happen with it upon completion. For more information on a DMP please consult the RDM page.

Every project within the Faculty of Sports and Nutrition (FSN) is required to have a DMP from the outset. This includes outside projects where the faculty is responsible for processing a large part of their data. The type of DMP and its extensivity depends on the kind of project and the financiers’ requirements. It is becoming common place that DMPs are a prerequisite for financiers.

There are different templates for creating a DMP. When the financier does not offer their own template, you can use the AUAS template.

It is possible that some of the questions in the DMP have already been answered in the FSN data protocol, in the (M)REC-application documents, or in the standard operating procedures. In this case you can simply refer to those in the DMP.

Agreements with partners

Data and possible applications are usually created and developed within finite projects. More often than not this is in cooperation with several other parties such as knowledge institutions, companies, and/or sports organisations. When it comes to planning your data management it is therefore important to clearly state ownership and responsibilities from the outset. It is also advisable to have a plan for the project results, such as an application, once the venture has come to an end. These agreements are then documented in a consortium agreement and possibly a data processing agreement. For more information please see IXA.

Ethics commission

Medical research that involves humans is subject to the “Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act” (Wet Medisch-Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (WMO)) and must first be submitted to an accredited medical research ethics committee (MREC) or the Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CCMO). The reviewing committee reviews research protocols in accordance with the WMO. Research is subject to the WMO if:

  1. It is medical research; and
  2. If people are submitted to practices or they are subjected to rules of conduct

A lot of research within the FSN is not subjected to the WMO but does, however, involve behavioural research with people. The AUAS is currently working to determine the protocol for such research.

Scientific journals, publishers, and/or financiers often require a statement from a MREC. If there is doubt concerning whether or not a research is subject to the WMO the MREC can determine which is the case and provide a statement thereof.

The FSN commonly uses the MREC of the VU medical centre and the AMC. The VU medical centre’s website includes a lot of information on their MREC’s procedure and the costs.

The purpose of informed consent is to inform potential participants of all aspects of their participation, including how the data will be managed. An informed person can then voluntarily decide whether to participate or not. When someone gives their consent, they agree to their participation in the research and the manner in which the data will be managed. RDM Support offers advice on how and when to request informed consent and what to do with minors for example. For more information please see:

Data protocol

The faculty guidelines with regards to research data management can be found in the FSN data protocol.

Collecting, storing, and publishing data

The RDM page on storing data contains a lot of information concerning storage options, making back-ups, security measures, etc.

FSN encourages sharing data with the scientific community (open access) on the principle that data should be shared as openly as possible, while considering the ethical and confidential restrictions. Data should be published with an appropriate license. The type of license necessary should be determined by the faculty’s data steward and the central RDM Support. The extent of disclosure will vary per research:

  1. Research data and meta data are open upon publishing
  2. Meta data are open upon publishing; research data are open after an embargo period
  3. Meta data are open upon publishing; research data are only available upon request
  4. Both meta data and research data are not open and only available upon request

The UvA and the AUAS have developed a repository called UvA/AUAS figshare which can be used to archive digital data and includes the option of making the data open access available. Another option is to share the (meta)data open access via Sport Data Valley, however, this is not yet fully operational.

Non-digital archiving

The FSN archive offers a long-term storage space for non-digital research data such as informed consents, questionnaires, and Case Report Forms (CRFs). The FSN archive has stipulated procedures for archiving data, accessing data, and destroying data. After the allotted time-period access, control, and destruction of the non-digital research data is managed by the data steward.

Support

Please get in touch with the data steward Niek van Ulzen for questions concerning research data management within the Faculty of Sports and Nutrition. Niek can also offer advice with regards to drafting a data management plan or saving data to UvA/AUAS figshare.

N.R. (Niek) van Ulzen

Faculty of Sports and Nutrition (FSN)

n.r.van.ulzen@hva.nl | 06 - 21155712