Planning

The resulting plan will have short and long-term benefits:

• saves time and resources
• makes it easier to find and understand data
• help to avoid or manage risk (e.g. data loss; accidental disclosure of sensitive or confident data)
• continuous access and interpretation of the data within your project’s team
• identifies tasks and responsibilities that need to be planned for in advance (e.g. managing ethical and legal obligations) 
• identifies in advance any extra costs and resources needed for carrying out data management activities
• if required, allows for the validation of your published results
• ensure your research is visible and has impact

The Research Data Management team are happy to discuss your DMP with you and to provide feedback and comments on your drafted plan. If you would like to send us your DMP we aim to provide feedback as promptly as possible, subject to demand. Please make us aware of any urgent deadlines that you have. To help you get started, we have created guidance and provide an online tool to aid their creation. PGRs are encouraged to discuss their DMPs with supervisors in the first instance. 

Data Management Plans (DMPs) generally require a researcher to describe the research data they will create, how they will do it, how the data will be stored, managed and processed during the project, and how valuable data will be shared. The resulting plan will have short and long-term benefits.

As part of the process of writing a DMP you should consider:

• Finding and reusing data.
• Active data storage.
• Collaboration.
• Organising data.
• Data sharing (How will valuable data outlive the project?).
• Guide to the university's repository.

DMP Review

The Research Data Service (RDS) can review draft DMPs making sure they cover all the key areas. Many funders make stipulations regarding where and for how long data must be made available following the completion of a project. Knowing funder codes of practice and expectations early will benefit you.

Email your draft DMP to the research data management team in the library. To help provide the context to your research, please also send background information along with specific questions you might have. We aim to review DMPs as soon as possible, please let us know if you have a tight deadline.

DMPonline

DMPonline is a flexible web-based tool that assists in the creation of DMPs. It provides templates and guidelines for the many of research funders.