The research data lifecycle encompasses various stages of the research process, from the initial planning and collection through to preserving, sharing and reusing. The below figure shows how the stages are linked:
Adapted from: Network of the National Library of Medicine. (2024). Data Glossary: Research lifecycle. https://www.nnlm.gov/guides/data-glossary/research-lifecycle
Each stage involves several research data management activities, including but not limited to:
Data planning
Data management plan
Data policies and ethical compliance
Data acquisition
Data collection
Documentation and metadata
Data processing
Data cleaning
Data organization
Data analysis
Analysis and collaboration
Version control
Data preservation
Long-term preservation
Storage and back-up
Data sharing
Data publication
Data sharing
Data reuse
Data repositories & data visibility
Data citation & licensing