Disparate data retention standards in biomedical research

The acquisition and retention of primary research data is fundamental to the reliability of and public trust in biomedical research. However, researchers are often unaware of or confused by applicable data retention requirements, in part due to the divergent requirements set forth by federal agencies, grant programs, and research institutions, as well as other applicable requirements under law, contract, and policy. This article summarizes current U.S. data retention standards applicable to biomedical research, including how institutional research retention practices have sought to reflect these standards, and discusses the importance of data retention in the context of research professionalism, data sharing efforts, intellectual property issues, and research integrity challenges, which increasingly have been the subject of much public interest. In conclusion, this article provides suggestions for both institutions and applicable federal agencies to streamline and clarify data retention standards, with the goal of improving research data retention practices.