4. Data management plans
Good Research Data Management has numerous benefits for both researchers as well as the wider scientific community who may want to reuse the data. Find out how researchers can benefit from developing a Data Management Plan (DMP).
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand the added value of making data management plans in research projects.
- Identify challenges in projects related to research data management.
- Identify stakeholders who require a DMP and know how to start making a DMP, including what topics to cover.
This module will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Watch the video about data management plans (21 min).
A word of caution: please note, to make sure your data(set) is in good hands, we recommend you to deposit it in a trusted digital repository (TDR). TDRs have an explicit mission to provide access to and preserve data. They play a critical role in making data FAIR, providing support, and preserving data over time in a FAIR manner. You can find certified data repositories in registries such as Re3data, by filtering on ‘certificates’, or on the website of the certificate organisation.
The video material has been imported from Holmstrand, K.F., den Boer, S.P.A., Vlachos, E., Martínez-Lavanchy, P.M., Hansen, K.K. (Eds.) (2019). Research Data Management (e-Learning course). doi:10.11581/dtu:00000047
The activities below have been reused from Linas Cepinskas. (2021). Module 8. Data management plans (quiz and activity). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5517465
Learning activities
- After watching the video, take a quiz to test your knowledge of data management plans (5 min).
Data storage policies
In the planning phase, researchers should ensure appropriate and secure storage solutions for their data. Find your institution’s policy on research data storage. If you can’t find any relevant documents, reflect on these questions:
- Where can you store your data?
- Is the data frequently and safely backed up?
- Who is responsible for storage, back-up and security of your data?
- How do you prevent unauthorised access to your data, if relevant?
- Where can you store your data?
Learning resources
A data management plan or DMP is a formal document that outlines how data is to be handled both during a research project, and after the project is completed. There are different tools to help researchers develop a data management plan, such as:
- DMPonline tool. It’s a free tool that helps to write, share and export a data management plan. It offers built-in data management plan templates for many major funders. The tool is provided by the Digital Curation Centre (DCC).
- ARGOS. This is a joint effort of OpenAIRE and EUDAT, offering a free service for creating and publishing data management plans.
- Data Stewardship Wizard. This is a joint ELIXIR CZ and ELIXIR NL initiative, helping researchers to build their own data management plans.
If you are interested in seeing examples of filled in data management plans, you may want to check out the following resources:- Data management plans created using the DMPonline tool and shared publicly by their owners.
- You can find additional resources, including more examples of filled in DMPs, checklists and guidance on the website of the Digital Curation Centre (DCC).
- CESSDA Data Management Expert Guide. Examples of filled in DMPs and a checklist with DMP related questions for additional guidance.
- DMPonline tool. It’s a free tool that helps to write, share and export a data management plan. It offers built-in data management plan templates for many major funders. The tool is provided by the Digital Curation Centre (DCC).