Knowledge Management

Code: DATA-STO-ACC

Managing data and knowledge ensures teams know the process for reviewing previous learning, communicating, and centralising project discoveries.

DATA-STO-ACC 1.0.0 Managing Knowledge & Data

This section applies to an organisation, research team, or individual tasked with managing the knowledge accrued during user research with a storage solution and access to data. This includes data protection, disposal, and archiving.

DATA-STO-ACC 1.1.0 Storage System Requirements

G

DATA-STO-ACC 1.1.1

Storage System Guidance

A storage system must record:

  • what was learned
  • how it was learned
  • when it was learned
  • with whom

This enables traceability and secondary analysis. Systems should support retention schedules, GDPR compliance, ethical disposal, and archiving.

Teams must be trained on correct labelling and access levels.

DATA-STO-ACC 1.2.0 Creating & Managing a Research Repository

G

DATA-STO-ACC 1.2.1

Repository Management Guidance

A research repository serves as the organisation's collective memory, enabling teams to find and re-use insights.

  • Select a platform supporting search, tagging, and secure storage.
  • Define a consistent taxonomy (for example: product area, user segment, method, date).
  • Store context with data: summaries, objectives, key findings, and links to raw artefacts where permitted.
  • Implement permission controls to balance insight access and data protection.
  • Assign responsibility for ongoing curation and archiving older studies.

DATA-STO-ACC 1.3.0 Insight Dissemination Strategies

G

DATA-STO-ACC 1.3.1

Insight Dissemination Guidance

Collecting research is only half the task; insights must reach the right people in usable formats.

  • Create concise executive summaries for senior stakeholders.
  • Run regular insight readouts or cross-functional "show-and-tell" sessions.
  • Use visual artefacts such as journey maps, blueprints, and highlight reels.
  • Link insights into product and policy workflows (e.g., backlogs, design briefs).
  • Monitor repository usage and refine dissemination methods accordingly.

DATA-STO-ACC 1.4.0 GDPR Compliance & Data Retention

G

DATA-STO-ACC 1.4.1

GDPR Compliance Guidance

Handling research data carries legal and ethical responsibilities.

  • Obtain informed consent with transparent explanations of data handling.
  • Apply data minimisation principles.
  • Define retention periods and enforce disposal schedules.
  • Use secure, approved storage systems.
  • Maintain procedures for data subject requests and incident response.

DATA-STO-ACC 1.5.0 AI-Enhanced Research Tools

G

DATA-STO-ACC 1.5.1

AI Tooling Guidance

AI can augment research processes when used carefully and transparently.

  • Use AI transcription to accelerate analysis with human verification.
  • Evaluate AI clustering or tagging as complementary to human synthesis.
  • Assess bias risks in AI tools used for recruitment or panel management.
  • Document how AI is used in workflows for transparency.
  • Ensure AI tools comply with organisational security and data protection policies.

Glossary & Definitions

Research Repository
A system for storing, searching and re-using research outputs across an organisation.
Taxonomy
A controlled set of labels for classifying research consistently.
Retention Schedule
A policy defining how long research data is held before disposal or archiving.
Data Minimisation
A principle ensuring only necessary data is collected and retained.
AI-Enhanced Tool
A tool using artificial intelligence to support tasks such as transcription or tagging.

Templates & Artefacts

Change History

Version Date Summary of Changes Author / Owner
0.1-draft 2025-12-11 Extended DATA-STO-ACC with repository guidance, dissemination, GDPR, and AI tooling. Added contents, glossary, templates, and change history. ResearchOps Governance Team