Retention periods are set by the University of California Records Retention Schedule, by sponsor and funder terms, and by regulations that apply to particular kinds of research. This page does not state retention periods. It points you to where they are set.
Where the requirements are
- UC Records Retention Schedule: the systemwide schedule of minimum retention periods.
- Your award terms: sponsors often require records to be kept for a set time after closeout.
- Regulations and protocols: human subjects research (IRB), health data, export-controlled work and patents may carry longer requirements.
- UC Research Data Policy: who owns research data, and stewardship responsibilities.
- UCR research policies, and your department.
What counts as a research record
Typical examples are raw data, lab notebooks (paper or electronic), protocols and approvals, consent forms, grant and financial records, and correspondence that documents significant decisions. Convenience copies and transitory notes generally are not records. The schedule has the definitions.
Before you archive or delete
- Find the longest retention period that applies, across all of the sources above.
- Choose storage that is designed for that length of time, and keep a note of where the data is and why. See Storage.
- Remember that storage terms can change over a long retention period. Plan for moving the data if they do.
- When in doubt, ask your department, the Office of Research, or Research Computing before deleting anything.