Data management planning overview

The key to research success

A Data Management Plan (DMP) helps achieve optimal handling, organising, documenting and enhancing of research data. It is particularly important for ensuring ethical and legal handling of data and for facilitating data sharing.

For the effective management of data, planning must start when research is being designed and needs to consider both how data will be managed during the research project and how they will be shared afterwards. This involves thinking critically about the sharing of research data, what might limit or prohibit data sharing, and whether any steps can be taken to remove such limitations.

A living document

Good practice is also to regularly update the data management plan as research progresses, for example during six-monthly project meetings. This way, the DMP becomes a quality assurance statement for your research data in the long term.

Planning for costs, roles and compliance

Data management planning helps to focus on the resources and funding needed to implement good data management practices. It also helps to clarify, at an early stage, individual and institutional roles and responsibilities. Planning is also essential to facilitate compliance with both ethical and legal responsibilities.

Many public research funders require a data management and sharing plan as part of research grant applications. They also expect data to be shared.

DMPonline, a free service created and provided by the Digital Curation Centre (DCC), helps with the creation and review of institutional and funder compliant data management plans.

Key data management planning considerations

When starting your data management planning, keep these essential points in mind:

• Design your data practices to fit the specific aims, methods, and needs of your project.
• Be clear on your legal, ethical, and institutional responsibilities toward research participants, colleagues, funders, and your organisation.
• Know your institution’s policies and services, such as storage and backup strategy, research integrity framework and Intellectual Property rights policy.
• Assign clear data management tasks to the appropriate team members.
• Regularly review and update your plan, keeping your DMP current as your research evolves, ensuring it remains accurate and effective.
• Make planning, implementing, and reviewing data management an ongoing part of your project workflow.
• Consider where, when, and how your data will be shared at the end of your project by identifying an appropriate and FAIR data sharing strategy.

Our data management checklist can point you to key matters to consider in a data management and sharing plan.