Have you ever looked back at one of your research projects and realized you can’t interpret the information or remember a unit of measurement used? Are you part of a research group where each person does their own note taking process (if at all)? This workshop will introduce how and when to appropriately implement a documentation method to improve the usability of the research. We will cover the following documentation methods: READMEs, data dictionaries, codebooks, lab notebooks, protocols, and general metadata. Free and platform agnostic documentation templates to get started in the process will be shared for all to use!  

Learning Outcomes:

1. Explain the value of documentation as a critical part of the research process
2. Distinguish between different documentation methods and the roles they play in supporting research
3. Analyze what metadata should be part of the documentation to encompass the total information needed to be collected
4. Accurately apply a documentation method to fulfill a need

Audience: 

• Individuals who currently or will be working on a research project. This information applies to all complexity levels of research, from multi-institute research initiatives to an undergraduate research fellowship project. 

Prerequisites:

• A general understanding of the research lifecycle – this will allow you to apply this information to how research is conducted. 
• Some experience with research, or a desire to engage with research in the future. The best time to start learning these skills is before you start a research project, so prospective researchers are encouraged to attend! 

About the Instructor:

Lauren Phegley is the Research Data Engineer in the Research Data & Digital Scholarship unit in Penn Libraries. She regularly consults with researchers and labs to restructure their documentation processes to ensure they are making their research usable now and for themselves in the future. https://www.library.upenn.edu/staff/lauren-phegley.