In today’s data-rich research environment, good data management isn’t just about storage - it’s about enabling collaboration, reproducibility, and long-term value. This webinar introduces fundamental principles behind academic data management. We will describe the research data lifecycle, explore how data moves through typical research workflows, common challenges in handling it, and strategies for organising, documenting, and sharing data responsibly. Regardless of your research area, these foundational principles are becoming increasingly important, whether you're working with small spreadsheets or high-throughput instruments, and understanding them can help you build a more robust and transparent data flow for your projects.