Motivation: Data Storage
Research data is unique and valuable and should be securely stored and protected to prevent the loss of one’s research work. Possible data losses can have a variety of human or technical causes, such as accidental overwriting or deletion, hacker and Trojan attacks, or loss of access credentials to a storage location. Storage media are not always reliable and can break, be lost, or be stolen. Additionally, software and hardware may become incompatible over time due to technological advancements.
Mobile and flexible working is an integral part of the research and professional world. This requires time- and location-independent access to data. Depending on the situation, such as working in the field without internet access versus analyzing data in an office, different requirements for storage locations and media apply. Therefore, it is important to consider early on which measures and regular routines should be established to protect research data from loss.