Nue Lee, a PhD student in Higher Education at U-M, details a comprehensive, three-layered back-up storage approach she uses to make sure her academic work is protected. “No one likes to talk about it, because it may be admitting that you don’t do it,” writes Lee, “but as graduate students, we must have a dedicated backup system.” Lee recommends grad students keep a few key points in mind when choosing a backup strategy:
- Make it as automatic as possible: The more work a backup requires, the less likely it is to be done regularly.
- Have at least two different backups: Data corruption is equally as bad as outright data loss. Multiple backups reduce the chance that all are affected at the same time.
- Do it: Your entire digital existence is at risk if you don’t backup. With a routine in place you can breathe a little easier, knowing that if something goes wrong you will not lose precious data.
