5 Choosing the Right Data Store

You’ve just learned a bunch of information about data structures and data stores. Now the challenge is applying that information to your own data. Remember the four factors to consider when deciding on a type of data store:

  1. Data Structure

  2. Data Interaction

  3. Data Management

  4. Computing Resources

5.1 Decision Flow Charts

While each factor compasses a wide range of considerations, the flow charts below can act as a starting point for deciding on the best data store type for your research.

You may find that various parts of your data require different answers to the questions in these decision charts. Or, your answers to the questions may change over time. You may want to ask different questions of your data, and therefore need to change how you structure your data. You may start working with more collaborators and need provide other people access to your data. Reproducibility experts will sometimes assert that you only store one “definitive” version of your data. However, that plan rarely survives first contact with a research project. If you want understand a subject deeply, you need to ask many different types of questions about it. And this necessitates storing your data in multiple forms.

1. Data Structure

2. Data Interaction

3. Data Management

4. Computing Resources

5.2 Additional Resources

This workshop is just the beginning. If a database seems like a good data store for your current (or next) research project, the resources below can help you get started.

Campus Database Resources