Archive and preserve

Lund University’s Records Management Plan sets out how data is to be registered, preserved and disposed of. Some faculties also have local disposal, and preservation plans for research documentation. Both analogue and digital data can be archived in the University Archives. No matter what the data, it is important that it is given a thorough and structured description so that it can be understood in the future too.  

Preservation and disposal of research documentation  

The rules about preservation and disposal of research data follow the same principles as for other documentation within research and teaching, i.e. that we justify why we dispose of items, not why we preserve them.  

The preservation value of certain documentation is to be assessed. This is done in consultation between the research project manager, head of department and, where necessary, an archivist. Primary material can be disposed of if it is not unique or deemed to have a scientific or cultural and historical value. For research documentation that can be disposed of, the retention period is generally ten years, while for EU projects it is 17 years.  

Preservation and disposal of documents

Intermediate storage of research documentation  

When a research project is completed, the research data that is to be preserved is sent to long-term storage. Before the permanent storage of the documentation in Lund University’s e-archive, electronic documentation is to be stored locally. This is often referred to as intermediate storage. You are to create a systematic order using a folder structure and file names in the local storage setup. If you have used the storage solution offered by Lund University via the storage space Research (R:), you have already created a structure that will work and a README file that explains the process. If you have stored your data in another way, such as at your department, it is important to ensure that it is stored in a secure and orderly manner and is described in a systematic way (such as using a README file).  

README file template in .txt

Archiving research documents  

Documentation that is to be permanently stored in the archive will be well-prepared for this after intermediate storage. How they are archived depends on whether the documentation is digital or analogue. The University Archives help researchers to find optimal solutions for their documentation.  

For digital research data, an e-archive solution is available for data that is to be preserved.  

Departments are responsible for delivering analogue research material to the University Archives in consultation with an archivist (at the faculty or in the Records Management and Archives Office).  

Archiving of research documents