All active data being used, added to, or modified is considered a record of the University and should be retained throughout the course of your research project. In most cases, research data should also be retained for a period of time after the research is complete. See the FAQ entry “Where can I store my active research data at Pitt” for active retention solutions.

The University of Pittsburgh Guidelines on Research Data Management state: “The University of Pittsburgh requires that research records be archived for a minimum of seven years after final reporting or publication of a project. The archived records should be originals whenever possible. In addition, records should be kept for as long as may be required to protect any patents resulting from this work, as required by an external governmental or commercial funding source, or as needed on connection with pending or reasonably anticipated litigation.”

Extraordinary retention guidelines exceeding the seven-year requirement include research involving drug-marketing, device-marketing, and pediatric subject research. Review the guidelines above for details.

Contact the Digital Scholarship and Publishing team to ask a question, set up a consultation, or learn more about the library's research data support services.