About MEMIC
MEMIC is the center for data and information management at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences of Maastricht University. We facilitate researchers with data collection, information management and knowledge extraction. We expertly manage the data during research and are aware to make data FAIR. We happily think along with you and make unique research possible together with our partners.
MEMIC & data
Data are vital to scientific research. Without data, it is impossible to build reliable, new knowledge. The field of Research Data Management answers questions on how to gather, clean, analyze and store your research data as well as how to store this data FAIR. MEMIC is an organization that can help you and your research to find the solutions you are looking for.
In many cases, your research proposal will need to include a Data Management Plan (DMP). This DMP describes how you intent to make your data ‘FAIR’. FAIR means that the data you gather with your research should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable for other researchers after you finished your research. For example: you need to think of variable names and descriptions that a researcher in another country in 10 years from now is able to understand.
MEMIC is able to store sensitive and privacy sensitive data separately from research data, as is required by GCP regulations.
MEMIC approach in three steps
Data collection
Data collection is the process of collecting information from different sources to find answers to the research problem. Data collection occurs in two ways; Primary data is newly acquired data (questionnaires, apps, interview). Secondary data is the selection and reuse of existing data.
MEMIC can help you identify what data you need to collect and we will store it for the duration of your research in our databases. All our database storage is ISO 27001 compliant.
Information management
Once data is collected MEMIC can help you with the process of turning this data into information. We carefully document, log and audit all of the data-cleaning steps in the process. We will make sure privacy sensitive details are stored separate and encrypted.
By using our workflow management tool Ldot and with our dedicated staff, your logistics and data will be GCP and GDPR compliant and we can help to annotate your data with the SNOMED standards.
Knowledge extraction
Knowledge extraction occurs mostly when your hypothesis is tested and when results are evaluated and published. We deliver your (partial) research results during a running research, for example in an SPSS file for you to analyse.
After data collection and cleaning have finished, MEMIC can help you to archive your data in such a way that other researchers can reuse your data and reproduce your results.
Research chain
