---
title: "Guide to Storing Research, Academic, and Departmental Data"
canonical: "https://kb.uconn.edu/space/IKB/28068970577/Guide%20to%20Storing%20Research%2C%20Academic%2C%20and%20Departmental%20Data"
format: markdown
---
If you are producing collaborative University content, files that multiple people need access to, your data should be stored and managed in [Microsoft SharePoint](https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IKB/pages/26042663096).

SharePoint is available to students, faculty, and staff through UConn’s Microsoft 365 licensing. [For most situations](https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IKB/pages/26342785025/Data+supported+by+SharePoint#Should-my-data-move-to-SharePoint%3F), it is the best option for storing and managing university content because it:

- meets state and institutional data security requirements
- supports shared ownership, essential for long-term management of the files
- provides structured permissions so that owners can determine the right level of access

Files stored in SharePoint sites will persist, even if a member of the group leaves the University.

You can create a site through Microsoft Teams, and the data may be accessed in the Teams application along with the SharePoint website.

> ⚠️ **Why you should not store research, departmental, or group data in OneDrive**
> ⚠️ 
> ⚠️ OneDrive, also available in Microsoft 365, is for personal, academic storage and is suitable for documents you’re working on alone or sharing temporarily. OneDrive accounts close, however, when individuals leave the University, and the data within the account is deleted. If your department or group’s files are saved in one person’s OneDrive and that person leaves the University, the group’s data will be lost.

## How to Create and Manage a SharePoint Site

1. [Create a SharePoint site in Teams or as a Group in Outlook.](https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IKB/pages/26325975060)
2. [Add people as owners, members, and visitors](https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IKB/pages/26267060048), depending on the level of access they should have. You’ll want to have at least two owners for the site to ensure that the site remains active. For more information, [read about the lifecycle polices](https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IKB/pages/26042663096/Microsoft+SharePoint#SharePoint-maintenance). If your group has full-time employees, make sure the site owner group has full-time employees
3. [Add external collaborators](https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IKB/pages/26402750535) (they don’t have an @uconn.edu account), if needed.
4. [Move the appropriate files from your OneDrive](https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IKB/pages/26229702819) into your SharePoint site.
5. [Start adding and accessing files!](https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IKB/pages/26284622325) You can upload, edit, and delete files through your browser or Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows).

> 📝 For a comprehensive collection of how-to articles for both the beginner and the advanced user, [view the KB’s section on SharePoint](https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IKB/pages/26042663096).