Data Management Planning for PhDs

Funded by:

Data Management Planning

Sarah JonesDigital Curation Centre

sarah.jones@glasgow.ac.uk

•PhD workshop, University of Northampton

“the active management and appraisal of data over the lifecycle of scholarly and

scientific interest”

Data management is part of good research practice

What is research data management?

•4.•Publication•& Deposit

•5.•Preservation

•& Re-Use

•1.•Create

•2.•Active Use

•3.•Documentation

What is a data management plan?

A brief plan written at the start of your project to define:• how your data will be created?• how it will be documented?• who will access it?• where it will be stored?• who will back it up?• whether (and how) it will be shared & preserved?

DMPs are often submitted as part of grant applications, but are useful whenever you’re creating data.

Why develop a DMP?

• to help you manage your data

• to make informed decisions so you don’t have to figure out things as you go

• to anticipate and avoid problems e.g. data loss

• to make your life easier!

What should a DMP cover?

1. What data will you produce?

2. How will you organise / look after the data?

3. How will you document the data?

4. What data will be deposited and where?

5. Who will be interested in re-using the data?

•1. What data will you produce?

•4.•Publication•& Deposit

•5.•Preservation

•& Re-Use

•1.•Create

•2.•Active Use

•3.•Documentation

• What type of data will you produce?

• What types of file format?

• How easy is it to create or reproduce?

• Who owns and is responsible for it?

•2. How will you look after the data?

•4.•Publication•& Deposit

•5.•Preservation

•& Re-Use

•1.•Create

•2.•Active Use

•3.•Documentation

• Is your data safe?

• How is your data backed up?

• Can you access it when you need to?

• Is your data organised?

•3. How will you document the data?

•4.•Publication•& Deposit

•5.•Preservation

•& Re-Use

•1.•Create

•2.•Active Use

•3.•Documentation

• Do you still understand your older work?

• Is the file structure / naming understandable?

• Are there standards you can use?

• How do you handle versions?

•4. What data will be deposited and where?

•4.•Publication•& Deposit

•5.•Preservation

•& Re-Use

•1.•Create

•2.•Active Use

•3.•Documentation

• Are you expected to share your data?

• Are you allowed to share your data?

• Which data will be included in your publication / thesis?

• Which can be discarded?

•5. Preservation and Re-use

•4.•Publication•& Deposit

•5.•Preservation

•& Re-Use

•1.•Create

•2.•Active Use

•3.•Documentation

• How long will your data be reusable for?

• Do you need to prepare your data to deposit in an archive?

• How will you make sure you get citations & impact?

A useful framework to get you started

•Think about why the questions are

being asked – why is it useful to

consider that?

•Look at examples to help you understand

what to write

•www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/content/datamanagement/dmp/framework.html

Help from the DCC

•https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk

•www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/develop-data-plan

...a web-based tool to help researchers write Data Management Plans according to different funder requirements

We’re currently enhancing it with practical examples, boilerplate text and tailored support

https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk

How DMP Online works Create a plan

based on relevant funder /

institutional templates...

...and then answer the questions using the guidance provided

Tips for writing DMPs

• Seek advice - consult and collaborate

• Consider good practice for your field

• Base plans on available skills & support

• Make sure implementation is feasible

Sources of guidance

• ICPSR framework for a data management planwww.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/content/datamanagement/dmp/framework.html

• How to develop a data management and sharing planwww.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/develop-data-plan

• UKDA’s manage and share your data guide• http://data-archive.ac.uk/media/2894/managingsharing.pdf

Thanks - any questions?

Content for this sessions has been taken from Research360, a Jiscfunded project which developed DMP resources for PhD students:http://blogs.bath.ac.uk/research360/category/training

Exercise: writing a DMP

• Fill in the template based on your PhD

• Discuss your plan– Did you know what to write?– Were the questions clear / understandable?– Was it useful to think about these issues?