By the FRELIP Editorial Team
Good research data management (RDM) means data that is organized, documented, preserved, and — where appropriate — shared. But much RDM guidance assumes fast connections, abundant cloud storage, and generous budgets. This briefing reframes RDM for low-bandwidth and intermittent-power settings: lightweight documentation practices, offline-first workflows, choosing storage and backup strategies that survive connectivity gaps, and applying FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) pragmatically rather than aspirationally. We will emphasize habits a researcher can sustain without specialized infrastructure, and explain how well-managed data strengthens both reproducibility and the long-term discoverability of African scholarship.