Before starting any project that may generate research data, it is advisable to create a Data Management Plan document.
What is a DMP?
A Data Management Plan (DMP) is a formal written document that outlines what you intend to do with your research data both during and after the project. This should be created during the project planning and should be treated as a living document because, if your research goals change, you should examine the plan to ensure that it still meets your critical data requirements and change it accordingly.
By creating a DMP it serves as a guide to help you safely and effectively handle your data. The plan saves you valuable time, because you get to create a clear structure for organizing your data throughout the research life cycle. It also ensures that you and others will be able to use and understand your data in the future. Besides, it can facilitate data sharing, which will increase data's fairness.
Many funding agencies require a formal Data Management Plan as part of the grant application. In the case of a research proposal, this plan will show how you will meet a funding agency's data management and sharing policy for research result. Even if there is no granting agency, DMPs can be useful tools for tackling problems that impact your data's long-term viability in addition to its gathering and utilization; therefore, it is the right thing to create one.
DMP Tools can help you create data management plans that will meet the needs of your funder and institutional requirements. They allow for easy collaboration among team members to ensure, the latest version is being updated as they are online.
Data Management Plans (Digital Curation Centre, UK)
Funder Templates helpful to complying with funder mandates
Checklist for a Data Management Plan [pdf file; 82 KB] (Digital Curation Centre, UK)
