Storing your research data

The University of Liverpool provides centrally managed, secure, and supported data storage to ensure your data are safe throughout the lifespan of your research project. These services will prevent accidental data loss and unauthorised access. They also align with the University’s Data Protection Policy and Information Security Policy.

Please be aware, portable devices such as laptops, USB sticks, or external hard drives are not recommended for storing data, especially sensitive data, as they can be easily lost, damaged, or stolen.

When deciding which storage service to use, you will need to consider the nature of the data such as if they contain personal information, how much data you have, and who will need access to them.

Active DataStore (ADS)

Active DataStore (ADS) provides researchers with up to 2TB of space per project. ADS is secure for personal, confidential, or sensitive data. Request space on ADS.

OneDrive for Business

OneDrive for Business is available to all staff and students. OneDrive offers 1TB of space. Files can be shared with University researchers as well as external collaborators.

Which storage service should I use?

See the guide Where can I store my research data? for help on deciding which storage service is most suitable for your data.

Please refer to the Information Protection Guide for guidance on classifying and protecting information throughout its lifecycle.

If you would like further support, please contact the RDM team at rdm@liverpool.ac.uk. 

I need other storage

By exception, where you do not think University centrally managed storage is suitable for your research project, the Principal Investigator (PI) should discuss their requirements with relevant subject experts including, but not limited to, Research IT and Information Security via the IT Services self-service portal.

Physical data

Safe and secure storage for physical data will depend on the nature of the data including how sensitive the data are or any legal requirements for retaining the data. There may even be a cost involved for specialised storage. Examples of physical data include lab samples, consent forms, or artifacts.

In some cases, physical data can be digitised, for example, paper consent forms. Digitisation needs to be planned for as it may involve costs, time, and destruction of the original documents. If you plan to digitise data containing personal information, you will need to treat the original physical data as confidential waste and dispose of accordingly.

Contact Information and Records Management for more information.