databanking
Databanking is the practice of creating, maintaining, and using databanks—structured collections of data stored for long-term access and reuse. It encompasses the acquisition, validation, organization, storage, and governance of data to support research, decision making, and operations.
A databank typically relies on metadata, data standards, and data models to ensure interoperability. Data are
Governance covers data stewardship, quality assurance, security, and compliance with legal and ethical requirements, including consent
Databanks can be general-purpose or domain-specific, such as genetic or medical databanks, statistical archives, or cultural
Common challenges include data quality, heterogeneity across sources, scalability, and the costs of storage and maintenance.