It is important to document how you will manage your research data before commencing research. You may need create a Data Management Plan for your research grant application or as a contractual requirement.

The Data Management Plan (DMP) is a document that describes the lifecycle of the data collected, generated and processed during the research project. It includes information such as the project's name, description, methodology, standards, data preservation and sharing methods, and the name and type of repository where the data will be deposited. etc. It is a "living" document, which will evolve and acquire more precision and content throughout the project's duration. It should be updated at least twice: once in the middle of the project and again at the end. In addition, a new version should be made if there are major changes to the data during the project. The timing of this revision will depend on the specific requirements of the call to which you are applying.

 

Data management plans have a threefold objective:

•     To prevent data loss, especially at the end of a research project;
•     To facilitate proper safekeeping from the moment the data are produced;
•     To enable data preservation by documenting their entire technological environment.

 

Ten Simple Rules for Creating a Good Data Management Plan

(Michener WK (2015) Ten Simple Rules for Creating a Good Data Management Plan. PLoS Comput Biol 11(10): e1004525. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004525)

 

What to include in a Data Management Plan

 

• A clear and concise description of the research data - including the type and volume of data, the format in which it is kept and where it is stored;
• Types of access that will be granted during and after the research project;
• How data reuse/sharing will be enabled;
• Any restrictions on access, re-use or confidentiality should also be clearly stated;
• Data policies should cover intellectual property and copyright, licensing, treatment of sensitive data, etc.;
• How long the data should be retained;
• Any restrictions on access, re-use or confidentiality;
• Any conditions for deletion or destruction.

 

Useful Resources

Best Practices of Data Management: DataONE's recommendations on how to manage data at all stages of the research project lifecycle.

Examples of data management plans from the Data Curation Centre

How to create a Data Management Plan: help information from OpenAire on how to prepare a Data Management Plan.

 

Finding pre-made Data Management Plans

 

The websites listed below offer a catalogue of actual plans that can be used as guidance:

LIBER: Data Management Plan Catalogue
Zenodo: data management plan
Digital Curation Centre: DMP online
Digital Curation Centre: example DMPs and guidance
DMP Tool
Argos

 

Some tools for creating data management plans

 

DMPOnline: is the tool recommended by the European Commission, provides templates for generating plans for various research funding agencies

Argos: open platform for data management planning created by OpenAire and EUDAT, which complies with the FAIR principles.

DSW Wizard: is a tool with specific functionalities for researchers and institutions and its template also complies with the FAIR principles.

PAGODA: online tool that was adapted and translated into Spanish from the Argos tool, which was developed by Open Aire.

Pla de Gestió de Dades de Recerca: based on the model created by the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) in the UK and was developed by the Consorci de Serveis Universitaris de Catalunya. The tool includes real examples in the template to assist with the elaboration of the Data Management Plan.