The value of data archiving is increasingly recognized in Irish research policy. For example, IRCHSS requires that “whenever data is to be collected with the support of a grant awarded by IRCHSS, applicants must specify the means by which that data will be made available as a public good for use by other researchers.” The Higher Education Authority policy on open access states that: “Data in general should as far as is feasible be made openly accessible, in keeping with best practice for reproducibility of scientific results.”1 In order to meet these requirements, researchers and research organisations must consider how to manage and process data for archiving, as well as the ethical and legal issues (see Box 1) involved, when planning research projects.