From the Shire to the Archive and back again: A journey to lasting data

Creating, processing and analysing research data marks the beginning of a journey, which results not only in new knowledge but should also produce lasting and sustainable data in accordance with the FAIR Guiding Principles. Yet for many researchers, navigating the vast landscape of data management can feel like an unexpected adventure rather than a straightforward path. At the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities (ACDH) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), we aim to change this. By guiding researchers through the seemingly insurmountable terrain of data management one step at a time, we cover the necessary, yet achievable tasks of data management along the way: sustainable file formats, essential metadata, understandable file naming and folder structuring, and data licensing. The poster presents a travel guide through the phases of data management, from the first steps of planning and creation to the final destination of long-term preservation in a trusted repository such as ARCHE. Even the most daunting set of tasks becomes manageable with the right fellowship: concrete, actionable guidance and practice-proven tools. We show how producing valid, archive-ready research data can become a productive and rewarding endeavour for researchers across all disciplines.