A Data Management Plan is a document that describes how data are to be handled during and after completion of a research project.
What is Data Management Plan?
Data Management Plan (DMP) is a document in which researchers plan the details of data management throughout the research life cycle. It is usually prepared at the proposal stage by the principal investigators and the research team and forms a part of the research proposal. Some funding agencies require a DMP to be submitted along with research proposals.
With a DMP, the research team plans ahead for the human resources and financial support required for handling of research data. Time will be saved in later stage of the research project if the data management process is well planned. Data could be better managed according to the FAIR data principle: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reuseable.
A DMP usually covers:
- data collection
- documentation and metadata
- ethics and legal compliance
- storage, preservation and archive
- data sharing
- responsibilities and resources
Data Management Plan Tool
To support CUHK researchers to create Data Management Plans, the Library has developed DMP service using DMPTool, a free, open source online application supported by University of California Curation Center. CUHK staff and students can sign into the platform with the institutional login using the CUHK OnePass credentials and create DMPs using templates from funders and institutions. Furthermore, researchers can refer to the requirements and guidance of funders, more details are available on the Library Guide.
The video “Data Management Plan in 5 Minutes: Writing Data Management Plans with DMPTool” introduces the rationale of having a DMP and how to create DMPs with the DMPTool.
Self-help Guide
The CUHK Library has created a Library Guide on Data Management Plan. It discusses:
- what DMP is and its content
- the rationale of writing a DMP
- the resources on DMP
- the steps on creating DMPs with DMPTool
Trainings
On-site and online workshops on DMP are also available: