Good versus best practice

This week we have presented many “best practice” strategies. This may feel overwhelming for some. Sometimes, it is also not feasible to aim for the best solution. However, instead of giving up completely, we would advise opting for a “good enough” strategy. After all, there are many choices that you can make to improve the final result of your collected data.

Making even a basic data management plan is better than none. If you have forgotten to secure consent before capturing data, it is possible to ask for it afterwards. Cleaning up messy data is not the funniest thing, but it may save you time in the long run.

Many of the principles we have presented in this section are relatively new also to experienced researchers. It is only fairly recently that institutions require Open Research principles in their policies. This may seem new to many. For example, most researchers would not have heard about data management plans a decade ago. Still, the principle of collecting data systematically is an old scientific skill.

New legislations push for securing people’s data. The GDPR is only one such example that also impacts the way we research. Abiding by such laws and regulations is not only important for researchers. Building trust in science is essential for developing humankind in general. Learning about these topics, and integrating them into your research practice will make an impact in the long run.

References

• Jensenius, A. R. (2021). Best versus Good Enough Practices for Open Music Research. Empirical Musicology Review. DOI