Data definitions

Last changed: 03 July 2023

Data and data management are key concepts of the policy. Data can consist of facts, measurements, recordings, records or observations about the world collected by researchers and others, with a minimum of contextual interpretation.

The policy refers to data generated and/or managed within SLU’s research and environmental monitoring and assessment, from raw data to processed and aggregated data. Raw data refers to original data that have not yet been processed. Data are included regardless of research discipline/subject, including social sciences and humanities data.

Research data

Research data are usually defined as information, and in particular facts or figures, collected for the purpose of investigation and considered as a basis for reasoning, discussion or calculation. Research data can also consist of statistics, experimental results, measurements, field observations, survey results, interviews, recordings and images, etc.

Environmental monitoring and assessment data

The term environmental monitoring and assessment data refers to data and/or decision data produced in the field of continuous environmental monitoring and assessment, otherwise it can largely be equated with research data as defined in the policy. Environmental monitoring and assessment data may consist of studies and analyses of natural resource use related to different policy options, but may also consist of decision data containing information on environmental developments and conditions.

Support from DMS

Data Management Support (DMS), a unit at the SLU University Library, supports SLU employees in matters concerning the management of data. Contact DMS by e-mail (dms@slu.se), book a data date, or read more about data management and the support DMS offers at www.slu.se/dms.