Once the research has been completed, a decision must be made as to which data to archive, taking into account: 

• Which data to retain and archive, and which to delete.
• The length of time for which the data must be retained.
• Documenting the decisions made. 
• Do I hold the intellectual property rights and legal rights to retain the data? 
• The requirements of the agency funding our research regarding the retention, storage and open access of the data. 
• More and more publishers require data to be made available alongside the publication. 
• If code or software has been generated for data processing, consider the possibility of retaining such software. 

Prepare the data for deposit in an institutional or thematic repository: 

• We must ensure that the data can be replicated easily and cost-effectively. To do this, it is essential to include a readme.txt file containing the necessary information to ensure the data is understandable and reusable: description, methodology, coverage, usage rights, privacy. There are various guides and templates to help create the file: Access Download template, Cornell University’s Guide to Creating Readme Files.

• Depending on the data, it may be necessary to establish restricted or limited access controls, and in the case of personl data, it will be necessary to anonymise or pseudonymise such data before it can be shared. There are tools available to assist with this, such as OpenAire’s Amnesia. 

 The document "How to Appraise and Select Research Data for Curation" is a very useful guide for the process of evaluating and selecting data for long-term preservation.