A data management plan (DMP) is a written document that describes the data you expect to acquire or generate during a research project, how you will manage, describe, analyze, and store those data, and what mechanisms you will use at the end of your project to share and preserve your data.
You may have already considered some or all of these issues about your research project, but writing them down helps you formalize the process, identify weaknesses in your plan, and provide you with a record of what you intend(ed) to do. Data management is best addressed in the early stages of a research project, but it is never too late to develop a data management plan.
Research is all about discovery, and doing research sometimes requires you to shift gears and revise your intended path. Your DMP is a living document that you may need to alter as the course of your research changes. Remember that any time your research plans change, you should review your DMP to ensure it meets your needs.
The framework below, adapted from one developed by the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), shows one approach to the elements of a data management plan.
| Element | Description |
| Data Description | What are your data about? What do they look like? Who is the audience of users or community types for the data? Survey the existing data. What other existing data are relevant to what you have collected? These questions may help you decide where to archive your data set. |
| Access and Sharing | How will you archive and share your data, and why have you chosen this method? What are the terms of use, if any? Indicate the timeliness of dissemination. |
| Metadata | What are your data about? What do they look like? Who is the audience of users or community types for the data? Survey the existing data. What other existing data are relevant to what you have collected? These questions may help you decide where to archive your data set. |
| Intellectual Property Rights | Be clear about who owns the data and how intellectual property will be protected if needed. Who is responsible for personnel with access to data? Any copyright restrictions must be noted. Are there any legal requirements? If so, provide a list of all relevant federal and funder requirements. |
| Ethics and Privacy | Describe how informed consent is handled and privacy protected. How will the data be protected during the project? |
| Format | Describe how the data were generated and how they will be maintained and shared - including a rationale for the process and archiving suggested formats. |
| Archiving and Preservation | What procedures are in place, or envisioned, for long-term archiving and preservation, including succession plans if transfer is needed? Include budget costs of preparing data and documentation. Funding requests may be included as well. |
| Storage and Backup | Consider storage methods and backup procedures - both cyber and physical resources for practical preservation and storage (several copies are recommended). What are the different levels of data retention from short-term to long-term preservation depending on the data types? Another aspect is data organization, particularly for dynamic data. How will data be managed during the project? Provide information about the version. |
North-West University Libraries provides access to the online Data Management Planning (DMP) Tool. The DMPTool includes data management plan templates and a wealth of information and assistance to guide you through creating a ready-to-use DMP for your specific research project and funding agency.
We can review your data management plan and make suggestions. We are also happy to verify whether your intended use of the Dayta Ya Rona Digital Repository, as described in your plan, matches up with the Dayta Ya Rona services we provide.
Once your data management plan is complete, you will include it with the rest of your proposal to the funding agency. North-West University Research's Office has further information on proposal development and submission.