National College Access Network (NCAN) has heard repeatedly and consistently over the years that one of the best aspects of network membership is the ability to collaborate with and learn from other members. In an effort to further the transfer of ideas, in the summer of 2016 NCAN hosted a series of four Idea Incubators across the country, which brought members together to tackle tough questions in data and evaluation. The objectives of these incubators were to develop a shared understanding of known research and best practices around the topic area; to generate new insights, questions and ideas to test in practice; and to identify actions to be taken and/or follow-up communication, as needed. The second of these Idea Incubators, "Managing the Database Lifecycle and Ensuring Quality Data," was hosted by College Forward in Austin, Texas. Readers should consider this document a hybrid between a white paper, a resource guide, and meeting minutes on this important topic, which has come into increasing focus in both the research literature and program practice in recent years.