Let’s face it, between juggling teaching, meetings, minutes and maybe even a paper or two, data storage probably isn't top of your to do list. But, where (and how) you save your documents, research, or that ever-growing spreadsheet really matters. Whether you're a researcher wrangling survey results, or staff coordinating the next open day, here's your no-nonsense guide to storing data and information at the University.

Store Smart

You’ve worked hours on a document, closed your laptop, and... where did you save it again? Here’s the golden rule: always use University-approved systems. That means saving your files to the University of Bath's OneDrive, SharePoint, or Microsoft Teams. These platforms are:

• Secure

• Backed up (here's how to restore deleted files or retrieve previous versions)

• Collaborative (more on sharing below!)

At Bath, files stored in OneDrive and SharePoint are backed up for three months, so if you accidentally delete that 5,000-word committee paper, you’ve got time to restore.

Please do not upload your files to third-party systems like Dropbox or personal Google Drive accounts. They might be convenient, but they're not within the University's control, meaning your data could be at risk.

Finally, if you're a researcher, the Research Data Service is your best friend for all things storage.

Don’t Forget Physical Data

It’s not just your digital files that matter. Got printed research consent forms or confidential paperwork? Store them securely, like in locked cabinets or restricted-access rooms. Only authorised persons should have access. Think library cards and locked drawers as having similar levels of security.

Access All Areas?

Over time, your Teams channel(s) gets crowded, your folder permissions get a little messy, and before you know it, people who’ve left your team are still lurking with edit rights. Take five minutes every so often to review access, both digital and physical. If someone’s moved on (or you’re about to), tidy up those permissions. You could set reminders to do this in your calendar every semester for example.

If you are leaving the University, it is your responsibility to make sure your files are transferred to a shared SharePoint, or Microsoft Teams channel before you go. If leaving, your permissions and access will be withdrawn so this makes sure the data and information are not lost when you go.

Don't Hoard It, Sort It

We know it’s tempting to keep everything “just in case,” but hoarding data isn’t just inefficient, its expensive and could cause us legislative problems.

Check the University Records Retention Schedule to find out how long certain information needs to be retained, and whether it should be archived or disposed at the end of its retention period.

Summary

• ✅ Use University-approved systems like OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams

• 🔒 Lock up physical records

• 👥 Review who has access regularly

• ⏳ Don’t store data longer than necessary

Our next blog post will be on Using Data and Information.