The importance of the Data Management Plan for your projects
- Samy Strola
- Nov 1, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 19, 2024
INTRO
Funding agencies now require consortia to provide a #DataManagementPlan (#DMP) as part of their funding proposals.
A DMP is complying with funding mandate and helps you:
increase impact and visibility of your research through data citation
document and provide evidence of published results within your research
meet ethical requirements
preserve and safeguard data for the long-term
share your data with others, benefiting interdisciplinary research
In general terms, your research data should be 'FAIR', that is findable, accessible, interoperable and re-usable. #FAIR
WHAT IS DATA
Data are a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn.
They can take many forms/formats:
Text (e.g. doc, txt, pdf)
Numerical (e.g. STATA, .xls, MySQL)
Multimedia (e.g. audio and video files)
Models (e.g. 3D model, statistical)
Programming languages (e.g. Python, C++)
Domain- or instrument-specific (e.g. Spectroscopy, Microscope Data, ...)
Software-specific
Reports, surveys, patient records
TYPE OF DATA
DMP typically provide a short description of the data, including amount and content, even of a sensitive nature.
Consider these questions:
What data will be generated in the research?
What data types will you be creating or capturing?
Who will be responsible for managing the data?
How will you capture or create the data?
How will be using existing data?
What is the relationship between the data you are collecting and the existing data?
POINTS TO ADDRESS IN A DMP
What form and format is the data in?
What is the expected lifespan of the data?
How can the data be used, reused, and repurposed?
How large is the data (i.e. filesize)?
Who are the potential audiences for the data?
Who owns the data?
Does the data include sensitive information?
How should the data be made accessible?
SHARING YOUR DATA
There are many ways you can share your data:
Deposit in a data repository or archive (e.g. Zenodo, OpenAIRE)
Deposit to a dedicated digital ad-hoc repository
Post online via a project or institutional web site
Submit data to journal
Cite your data in your work in order others can find it
USEFUL LINKS
NEED HELP?
At Strola Consulting, we developed a ready-to-use template for creating your DMP within H2020 and Horizon Europe funding programme.
--> Feel free to contact us if you are interested.
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