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Supporting researchers with Data Management Plans
Sarah Jones
Digital Curation Centre
sarah.jones@glasgow.ac.uk
Twitter: @sjDCC
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What are DMPs?
Why are they important?
What do funders require?
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What is a Data Management Plan?
A brief plan written throughout a project to define:
 What
 How
data will be collected or created?
the data will be documented and described?
 Where
the data will be stored?
 Who will be
 Which
 How
responsible for data security and backup?
data will be shared and/or preserved?
the data will be shared and with whom?
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Why develop a DMP?
DMPs are often submitted with grant applications, but are useful
whenever researchers are creating data.
They can help researchers to:

Make informed decisions to anticipate and avoid problems
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Avoid duplication, data loss and security breaches
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Develop procedures early on for consistency
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Ensure data are accurate, complete, reliable and secure

Save time and effort to make their lives easier!
It helps to update them throughout the course of a project.
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Lots of UK funders require a DMP
www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/policy-and-legal/ overview-funders-data-policies
n.b. EPSRC does not require DMPs in grant applications but encourages them
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Requirements on the increase worldwide
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Five common themes / questions
1.
Description of data to be collected / created
(i.e. content, type, format, volume...)
2.
Standards / methodologies for data collection & management
3.
Ethics and Intellectual Property
(highlight any restrictions on data sharing e.g. embargoes, confidentiality)
4.
Plans for data sharing and access
(i.e. how, when, to whom)
5.
Strategy for long-term preservation
www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/data-management-plans/checklist
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Supporting researchers to
write DMPs
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Basic guidance and support
Most university policies include a requirement for DMPs
so you need to explain what to cover in plans via:
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Templates listing themes/questions to cover
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Custom guidance by uni or discipline
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Links to local contacts and support
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Example answers or boilerplate text
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A library of successful DMPs to reuse
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Example DMP templates
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Bath postgraduate template
http://opus.bath.ac.uk/30772
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DataTrain template
www.lib.cam.ac.uk/preservation/
datatrain/documents.html
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MRC template
www.mrc.ac.uk/research/researchpolicy-ethics/data-sharing/datamanagement-plans
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Example plans
 Technical appendix submitted to AHRC by Bristol Uni
http://data.bris.ac.uk/files/2013/02/data.bris-AHRC-Technical-Plan-v21.pdf
 Rural Economy &
Land Use (RELU) programme examples
http://relu.data-archive.ac.uk/data-sharing/planning/examples
 UCSD example DMPs (20+
scientific plans for NSF)
http://rci.ucsd.edu/dmp/examples.html
 My DMP –
a satire (what not to write!)
http://ivory.idyll.org/blog/data-management.html
 Further examples:
www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/data-management-plans/guidance-examples
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More in-depth support
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Online tools
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Training courses
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Reviewing plans
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Consultancy services
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What is DMPonline
A web-based tool to help researchers write DMPs
Main features
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Templates for different requirements (funder or institution)
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Tailored guidance (funder, institutional, discipline-specific etc)
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Example/suggested answers
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Supports multiple phases (e.g. pre- / during project) for active, living plans
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Ability to share plans with collaborators and leave notes/comments
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Exports to a variety of formats to meet differing requirements
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Shibboleth authentication to sign on with institutional credentials (UK-only)
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…
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Customising DMPonline
Unis can:
 Add templates
 Different types of questions
 Local guidance with links to support and services
 Example answers, or suggested answers if certain
services are used
 Add questions & guidance to funder templates
 …
www.dcc.ac.uk/news/customising-dmponline-admin-interface-launches
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Integrating DMPs into workflows
Example of embedding flags / alerts into grant system
www2.le.ac.uk/offices/itservices/about/news/old-news/2010/July/lucre-08-07-10
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Reviewing DMPs
Useful guidelines
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ESRC guidance for peer-reviewers
www.esrc.ac.uk/_images/DataManagement-Plan-Guidance-for-peerreviewers_tcm8-15569.pdf
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MRC guidelines
www.mrc.ac.uk/documents/pdf /datamanagement-plans-guidance-forreviewers
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Johns Hopkins grant reviewers sheet
https://dmp.data.jhu.edu/resources/gr
ant-reviewers-guide
How to assess DMPs
forthcoming guide
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Thanks – any questions?
DCC guidance, tools and case studies:
www.dcc.ac.uk/resources
Follow us on twitter:
@digitalcuration and #ukdcc