The following have been adapted from Doiron, J. Support your research with data management planning!
- Description or brief summary
- Data Collection
- Storage and backup
- Metadata
- Preservation
- Privacy, Sharing/ Re-Use
- Responsibilities & resources
- Ethics/compliance
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Description or brief summary of the project (focus, purpose, scope etc).
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Data Collection: describe how you will collect your data and identify the file types, software, and systems or platforms you intend to use.
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Storage, backup and version control: estimate the amount of data you'll be collecting, how much storage you'll need for it and how the data will be backed up. Data storage intentions should include file-naming conventions.
- Ask yourself if the 3 - 2- 1 model is right for you: maintaining 3 copies of your data on at least 2 different formats and 1 stored off site, e.g., on campus: dedicated, secure computer + institutional network drive | off-campus: encrypted device, stored securely and not shared with others.
- Explain how you'll safeguard your data master-file and subsequent versions.
- Explain your overall file and folder naming strategy, e.g., how you will ensure a clear, intelligible and consistent approach to naming and organizing your files and folders.
- UBC Library has an excellent guide to file naming conventions, with DOs, DON'Ts and WHY rationales.
- Also see the Open Science Framework: File Naming best practices.
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Metadata: explain how you intend to document and describe your data. "In practical terms, metadata are bits of information that allow people and/or machines to understand the meaning of the data being presented - for example, the typical content in the header row of a table, or along the axes of a graph" (DC Library. Metadata for researchers).
- Ideally you'll use one of the metadata standards for your discipline.
- If the typical metadata schema for your discipline doesn't work for your project you should explain this and provide a rationale for the system you created/used. Cornell has a great guide to creating your own "readme" style metadata plan.
- To learn more see our guide to Metadata for researchers
- Preservation: specify which data you will preserve, which you won't, and why. Describe your preservation plan - e.g., how you'll deal with obsolete formats, whether your data will be preserved long-term and/or your rationale for eventually removing/deleting your data.
- If possible, use open/ non-proprietary software to prevent access issues for others.
- Privacy, Sharing/ Re-Use: detail which data can be shared and reused by others. Make clear if some data may not be shared and why not.
- If you are collecting personally identifying and/or sensitive data, explain how you intend to safeguard those data from being accessed inappropriately - both during your research phase and after your project is complete. To learn more see our guide to: Safeguarding Research Data.
- This section of your DMP is also the place to determine if you'll be depositing your final datasets to a repository - and if so, which data repositor(ies) you'll be using.
- You'll also want to think about the permitted uses you will allow for your data. A good way to approach this is to review the different Creative Commons licences to see if one would suit your purposes.
- Responsibilities & resources: articulate the roles and responsibilities of all the research project members as they pertain to your data management plan, e.g., who is in charge of stewarding which pieces of the plan? What costs are anticipated to maintain your data? What resources does the project have to support this work?
- Ethics/compliance: document any legal or ethical components to your research and how you will meet any statutory/ethical requirements. Depending on your project you may choose to tackle your data privacy issues and safeguards here, rather than in section 6, Privacy, Sharing/Re-Use.
