What to keep in terms of research data has been a recognised issue for some time but research data management and in particular appraisal and selection (ie “what to keep and why”) has become a more significant focus in recent years as volumes and diversity of data have grown, and as the available infrastructure for ‘keeping’ has become more diverse.

The purpose of the "What to Keep" study is to provide new insights that will be useful to institutions, research funders, researchers, publishers, and Jisc on what research data to keep and why, the current position, and suggestions for improvement.

It should be noted "What to Keep" is a relatively small study and it should be seen as a review providing a contemporary view and building upon earlier work in this field.