Weekly Wisdom #66 by Paul Gray and David E. Drew

Academic Practice, Book Writing, Books, Conference Paper Writing, Conference Papers, Grant Writing, Grants, Journal Article Writing, Journal Articles, Productivity

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December 12, 2011

BACK UP, BACK UP, BACK UP YOUR RESEARCH. Don’t be victimized by unexpected electronic failures that could destroy your files. Always back up important electronic files, including your raw data and draft text for your research. If you have questionnaires or computer output, keep the originals at least until the dissertation is handed in. After editing or modifying a draft chapter, resave it on removable media. Print out a copy from time to time. Back up text material frequently. Similarly, keep all valuable devices (including computers and removable media) that hold important, valuable information secure from theft. Do not assume that theft won’t occur in the ivory tower or when you travel.