Walking the talk in Myanmar and Afghanistan: building data management capacities in a complex research project

Data management for an interdisciplinary research project, with multiple partners, working on sensitive issues and in conflict-affected and fragile states may sound daunting. As data manager for the Global Challenges Drugs & (dis)order project, with twelve partner organisations researching how illicit drug economies can transform into peacetime economies in Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar, it's a matter of putting advice into practice that works for all the partners. Drugs & (dis)order seeks to generate robust evidence for use in policy and practice. Evidence (AKA research data) is collected through interviews, life histories, focus group discussions, observations, photographs, surveys, compilation of existing data sources and press information and satellite imagery. Most research is carried out by local field researchers, with information elicited from key informants such as drug users, producers, farmers, traders and the public. Strengthening local capacities, in particular for the grassroots research organisations in Myanmar and Afghanistan, has been a main focus. Developing solutions for the safe and secure storage, transfer and handling of all collected research data was made a priority, especially since some of the local partners have a fairly basic IT infrastructure and no dedicated IT staff. Finding synergies (or compromises) between local research practices, and ethical requirements of UK-based institutions and funders is an ongoing process. Developing capacity for coding qualitative data helps partners progress from data collectors to research partners. As the research progresses and primary data management practices get established, the focus now goes towards an open source tool to organise, manage and tag digital images, and solutions for a repository system for partners to archive and curate their data file