Data collection & analysis tools  

In the Research Support Handbook you can find information on data collection.  

The following tool(s) are made available for data collection:  

Qualtrics 

Qualtrics: a web-based survey tool that you can use to distribute surveys for research. The platform is characterised by a great diversity of possible question types and great flexibility in the design of surveys. It offers the possibility to grade surveys, create quizzes for educational purposes, and distribute surveys through several channels. VU has signed an agreement with Qualtrics regarding the use and the protection of data. Qualtrics is now ISO27001 certified, which means that Qualtrics can be used for data that are not extremely sensitive. If you are not sure if you can or should use Qualtrics to collect your data, please e-mail the RDM Support Desk. 
Detailed information on Qualtrics  

In the Research Support Handbook you can find an overview of tools for qualitative and quantitative data analysis and the available download options. VU recommends using open software as much as possible for data analysis, as doing so increases the accessibility, interoperability and reuseability of your data. Visit the Research Support Handbook for more information on how to do so.  

The following tool(s) are made available for data analysis: 

ADA HPC 

ADA is a high performance compute (HPC) cluster for research at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This is useful for students and researchers who need more computing power than their own device can provide. 
Detailed information on ADA HPC  
Request access to ADA HPC Cluster  

Transcription Services 

The VU recommends the following transcription services. Information about languages, rates and usage for both transcription services can be found in the Research Support Handbook. 

Transcript Online 

Transcript Online provides human-edited transcription. Experienced transcribers convert speech to verbatim transcriptions. 
Detailed information on Transcript Online 

Amberscript 

Amberscript offers both automated transcription and transcription by transcribers. For automated transcription, credit per hour can be purchased in advance. For verbatim transcription, a quote will need to be requested. 
Detailed information on Amberscript

Data Storage & Archiving Tools 

In the Research Support Handbook you can find information on the storage solutions that are supported by VU.  

If you are unsure which storage solution is best suited for your data, please use the data storage finder. The associated costs depend on the size of your project. You can find more information about the costs for storage and archiving of your research data here. 

The following tool(s) are made available for data storage: 

Yoda  

Yoda is an application for institutions that supports Research Data Management (RDM) throughout the entire research cycle: from the safe and easy storage and sharing of data during the research process, to the sharing of data within research collaborations and ultimately to research data archiving and publication.  
Detailed information on Yoda  
Request a Yoda Projectfolder  

Research Drive  

SURF Research Drive is an online storage and collaboration platform for research data. With Research Drive you can easily store and share files with other researchers, inside and outside VU Amsterdam.  
Detailed information on Research Drive  
Request a Research Drive Projectfolder  

SciStor 

The storage service SciStor (Storage for Scientists) is intended for storing large amounts of research data. SciStor can be used from any VU workstation and from home or on the road. The access rights set in consultation determine which person can access which data. SciStor is offered at an attractive rate and is an excellent alternative to USB drives or other consumer storage systems. 
Detailed information on SciStor 
Requesting or changing Scistor access 

OSF  

The Open Science Framework (OSF) is a cloud-based open-source research project management tool that supports researchers throughout the active research stage. It facilitates collaboration, connects services across the research life cycle, materials, and other research objects for private use or public sharing.  
Detailed information on OSF  

According to VU RDM Policy, all publication-related data should be archived for at least ten years for verification and replication of research. See the Research Support Handbook for information about archiving research data. The associated costs depend on the size of your project. You can find more information about the costs for storage and archiving of your research data here. 

The provided VU-recommended RDM archiving applications are: 

DataverseNL 

DataverseNL is an Open Access dataset archiving and publication platform used by various institutions. VU Amsterdam has a section for each faculty to archive and publish their datasets. 
Detailed information on DataverseNL 

Yoda  

Yoda is an application for institutions that supports Research Data Management (RDM) throughout the entire research cycle: from the safe and easy storage and sharing of data during the research process, to the sharing of data within research collaborations and ultimately to research data archiving and publication.  
Detailed information on Yoda  
Request a Yoda Projectfolder  

More Tools 

DMPonline 

DMPonline is an online platform that enables researchers to create, manage, and share Data Management Plans (DMPs). 
Detailed information on DMPonline 

• Get inspired by this list of RDM tools on GitHub! 
• This detailed research process gives a clear overview of the steps you need to take for your research. 
• Need help from the IT department? ServiceNow facilitates all IT services. Get all the answers to your questions and submit your IT-related requests on the IT area of the service portal. 
• For all other questions regarding research data management, please reach out to the research support team!