Research Data Flow Diagram
The Research Data Flow Diagram (RDFD) was developed by members of the Data Project. This tool is primarily intended for laboratory heads and managers of Faculty platforms.
The RDFD has three main purposes:
- A reflective tool for assessing the research data lifecycle within your laboratory
- A decision-support document for implementing improved data management strategies
- A tool for identifying needs for improvement in terms of practices and infrastructure
The RDFD provides a simple and effective representation of the lifecycle of your research data.
The Research Data Flow Diagram allows you to:
- Overview of Laboratory Practices
Your group generates and processes large quantities and a wide variety of data types. Your tools, technologies, and research programs evolve. You need an overview of your group’s research data management practices to ensure alignment with your objectives, with institutional recommendations, and with legal requirements. - Consistency of Practices
You want all members of your research group or platform to have the same level of information regarding data management. You wish to facilitate the onboarding of new team members and ensure that the entire group follows the same good practices. - Identification of Areas for Improvement
By reflecting on your RDFD, you may notice that you have too many copies of the same datasets, or you may identify bottlenecks such as slow data transfers. The RDFD serves as your entry point for improving your research data management practices and for engaging with the relevant support services. - Preparation of DMPs and Communication with Journal Editors
Your RDFD is a valuable asset when preparing the Data Management Plan (DMP) required by the SNSF or requested by the CUREG. All relevant information is consolidated in a simple diagram. Your RDFD can also be useful during exchanges with scientific journal editors.
How to Generate Your Research Data Flow Diagram
The diagram is based on the RDMkit, which is the ELIXIR Research Data Management toolkit for Life Sciences (https://rdmkit.elixir-europe.org), and is created using Draw.io (a registered trademark of JGraph Ltd, UK, and draw.io AG, Switzerland). This free and open-source solution was chosen because it is highly intuitive and easy to use. More information is available in the tool documentation.
Draw.io is available in two versions: a downloadable software package for local installation, or a web application accessible at https://app.diagrams.net/?src=about#.
Once the program is installed or the web application opened, you need to import the icons you will use. In the left-hand panel, click on the pencil icon in the “scratchpad” section, then import the file Drawio_workflow_icons. Finally, you can download a starter template:
- Without sensitive data – blank
- Without sensitive data – pre-filled
- With sensitive data – blank
- With sensitive data – pre-filled
These starter templates, provided in drawio.png format, can be opened with the Draw.io program.
And that’s it, you are ready to create your own RDFD!
A detailed explanation of how to use Draw.io and the RDFD is available in the dedicated documentation: mode d’emploi (FR) or user guide (EN).
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Latest update: 2026-01-29