As mentioned in the "Archiving & Preservation" section, all digital data are susceptible to bit rot. The UK Data Archive recommends the folllowing data storage best practices:

• use data formats with long-term availability
• storage strategy - at least two different forms of storage and locations
• maintain original copy, external local copy and external remote copy
• copy data files to new media two to five years after first created
• check data integrity of stored data files regularly (checksum)
• know your personal/institutional back-up strategy
• know data retention policies that apply: funder, publisher, home institution
• what to protect? not only data, and not only digital

The UKDA web page on data storage (linked above) expounds upon each of the bullets above, and we highly recommend them as an information resource in this area.

Local Resources

If you have questions about the data storage solutions available to you at OSU, please visit Information Services (IS) and the Community Network. In many cases, OSU’s digital repository (or “institutional repository”) ScholarsArchive@OSU can be a suitable archive and sharing mechanism for your final datasets. Please contact us with any questions or requests.