Effective data management supports research integrity, reproducibility, and making your data useful beyond your own project. Since most researchers have limited time to perfect their workflows, this workshop is designed with busy postdocs in mind. We’ll introduce ‘good enough’ data practices — simple, time-efficient strategies that lay the groundwork for sharing, publishing, and reusing data. You’ll learn how to organize your files using logical directory structures and naming conventions, keep your data tidy and consistent, track changes with version control, and create basic metadata to describe your dataset. By the end of the session, you’ll be equipped with practical tools to make your data easier to manage now and easier to share later.
About the Trainers:
Dr. Alaina Pearce is a research data librarian and behavioral health researcher with 10+ years of experience conducting complex quantitative analyses, developing advanced statistical models, and managing cross-functional teams. A former NIH-funded postdoctoral fellow at Penn State with a PhD in Psychology, Alaina has a longstanding dedication to supporting open, fair data while continuing her research in pediatric obesity.
Dr. Briana Wham is also a research data librarian at Penn State, where she supports data management planning, reproducible research workflows, and institutional repository curation She holds a PhD in Entomology from Penn State, with a research background in bee community ecology. Briana champions open science, museum collection digitization, and bee conservation. She's also a parent of two young children - congratulations, Briana!