Research data files: a timestamp before the analysis
For students and researchers: why to record a raw data file before analysing it, how to version cleaned data and analysis plans, and what a public timestamp adds to good data practice. Informational content.
In research, the order of events matters: the data was collected, then the plan was written, then the analysis was run. Good practice keeps a record of each step. A public timestamp is one simple way to record which file existed when.
Three files worth recording
- The raw data file — exactly as it came from the survey, the instrument or the export, before any cleaning.
- The analysis plan — the questions and methods you decided on, before seeing the results.
- The cleaned dataset — the version the analysis actually used.
Step by step
- Keep the raw file read-only. Make a copy for cleaning; never edit the original.
- Name every version with a date and a short description: for example 2026-10-17_survey_raw.csv, 2026-10-20_survey_clean_v1.csv.
- Timestamp the raw file at DAS Proof on the day you receive it. The fingerprint is calculated in your browser; the data itself does not leave your device — useful when the data is confidential.
- Write the analysis plan, export it to PDF and timestamp it before you run the analysis.
- Timestamp each cleaned version that feeds into results.
- Keep a data log: file name, date, what changed, transaction reference.
What the timestamp adds — and what it does not
The record shows that a file with exactly this fingerprint existed no later than a given moment. It says nothing about whether the data is correct, complete or ethically collected; that remains the researcher's responsibility and the subject of your institution's rules.
The fingerprint comes from a hash function in the Secure Hash Standard (FIPS 180-4, NIST). Changing even one value in a CSV file produces a different fingerprint.
DAS Proof writes a file's fingerprint (SHA-256) into a public XRP Ledger transaction; the file itself never leaves your device. The timestamp shows the file existed in exactly this form no later than a given moment — it does not establish authorship or ownership. Anyone can verify it, free: dataanalyticsystem.com/proof/verify
Related: What is a hash: a file fingerprint in 5 minutes · How we write a file fingerprint to the XRP Ledger · DAS Proof
Informational content. Not legal advice.
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