Our society’s dependence on digital data is growing exponentially, along with our need to trust how and where that information is being managed and preserved. While consensus on ‘good’ data management and stewardship is beginning to develop and evolve, it demands constant diligence and on-going practice to keep up with the 24/7 demands of big data.

At this critical time, Canada is developing national infrastructure and services and best practices for research data management. These initiatives include open access to data, achieving FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) data and the launch of the CoreTrustSeal certification process for data repositories—places where large...