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Data Management: Data Management Plans

This guide serves as a starting point for UNR faculty, students, and staff interested in research data management.

What are Data Management Plans?

Man trying to shove data in cabinets.

A data management plan, or DMP for short, is a document in which a researcher or research team outlines a plan for the data their project will produce. Some funders require data management plans as part of the submission process. DMPs typically address questions such as:

  • What types of data will be created?
  • How, when, and who will do the work?
  • Who will own, have access to, and be responsible for managing these data?
  • What equipment and methods will be used to capture and process data?
  • Will data be reviewed for quality?
  • Where will data be stored during and after?

Remember to create a DMP at the start of a project. Although this can mean more work at the beginning, it can save you lots of time later in the process as you already have a plan laid out for how you will handle certain situations. Also, DMPs are not meant to be set in stone at the start; you can up date your plan as needed as you go along. 

The U.K Digital Curation Centre's Checklist for a Data Management Plan can help get started thinking about the elements of a thorough DMP.

Funder Requirements

It is best to check with the specific funding agency or publisher directly to be certain you are following the most recent guidelines. However, SPARC is a "community resource for tracking, comparing, and understanding both current and future U.S. federal funder requirements for sharing research articles and research data," so it's a great place to start. 

Below are links to the various government agencies' data management and data sharing policies and guidelines.

Note: Some of the larger agencies are comprised of research directorates with their own DMP requirements. 

DMPTool

DMPTool logo