Research data management: Data management planning

Researchers may need to create a DMP when applying for grant funding, seeking ethical approval to conduct research, and, in the case of research students at the University, to meet the requirements of confirmation of registration and annual review. 

These DMPs are created to meet a defined set of requirements and are usually submitted at defined points in time as part of a formal process. They may be narrower in focus, depending on their purpose: a DMP submitted for ethical review is largely focused on measures that will be used to ensure data collected from participants are managed safely in compliance with ethical and legal requirements.

If you need to submit a DMP as part of a process, visit the Grant applications, Research ethics or PGR data management section of this guide, as relevant. 

A DMP should always be created as a practical tool that will help you manage data effectively throughout the research project and prepare for data sharing when you complete the research and publish your findings. This DMP may draw on or duplicate information submitted as part of a process, but it will often be more comprehensive and detailed, and, what is most important, it will be a living document, which will be referred to and developed throughout the lifetime of the project.

Some funders also make a DMP a required deliverable for funded projects: 

• NERC-funded PIs must develop a full DMP in collaboration with the relevant NERC data centre within three to six months of the start date of the grant;
• Horizon Europe projects (including ERC grants) are required to submit a DMP deliverable within the first six months of the grant.

The purpose in this case is to ensure the DMP written at the pre-award stage is developed into the practical tool to support delivery of the project in the post-award stage.

We provide a Post-award data management guide (PDF) to help PIs and project teams address a project’s data management requirements when a project is being set up.

The DMP that PGRs are required to submit at confirmation of registration and annual review is part of a process, but it is also designed to be a practical tool for the student that evolves as the PhD project progresses. 

Most DMPs are created using a template or planning tool. Where a DMP is required as part of a specific process, such as a grant application, use of a template or a set of headings to structure the plan may be specified. See the sections on Grant applications, Ethical review and Data management for PGRs for information about requirements and templates. 

Generic data management planning tools are best suited to creating the DMP that will be a practical tool used to support delivery of the project. These may be more comprehensive than DMPs that support specific processes, and can be developed at a greater level of practical detail. They will generally cover the following:

• context of data collection: i.e. the research project, and relevant policies and contracts, e.g. funders' and institutional policies on research data, a collaboration agreement or a PhD industrial sponsorship agreement
• data collection, storage and processing: the data to be collected, methods of collection and processing and instruments to be used, quality control procedures, solutions for storage, backup and organization of data, and relevant formats and standards
• documentation and metadata: information that will be created and linked to the data to identify them, document the methods by which they were created, and provide you and other people with the means to understand and use the data
• ethics and legal compliance: measures for the management of data in order to comply with any research ethics and Data Protection Act requirements, including actions to be taken to facilitate data sharing on publication of findings, e.g. securing appropriate consent, anonymising datasets
• intellectual property rights: who owns the data that will be collected and used in the research, how ownership affects data sharing, and what permissions may need to be sought for data sharing
• preservation and sharing: what data will be preserved over the long term, what data repositories or other services will be used to preserve and share data, and on what terms data will be made accessible
• responsibilities and resources: how roles and responsibilities for data management will be allocated, what resources will be required, and what additional costs will be incurred, such as data storage costs, or charges for data archiving

You are advised to use a DMP template to structure your plan and ensure you cover all relevant aspects of data management.

Funders may provide a DMP template or set of headings to be used in a grant application. The University's ethical review procedure and its confirmation of registration/annual review procedure for PGRs both require the use of templates designed to address their respective requirements. See the relevant sections of this guide for information about required DMP formats and templates.

When writing the DMP for use in the project, you may find a generic template more useful, as those designed for use in specific processes are often narrower in focus and provide less scope for development at a practical level of detail. These template tools are recommended:

• DMPonline is an online data management planning tool. It provides funder-specific templates for use in grant applications, but you can also select the 'No funder' option when you create a new plan to generate a standard template that is suitable for any project. Plans can be saved, shared with co-applicants, commented and edited, and exported in a variety of formats. The online format presents some limitations, in that it does not provide version control and you cannot include images, but you can always download the plan in Word if you need to develop it further.
• The Digital Curation Centre (DCC) provides a Checklist for a data management plan. This is essentially a PDF version of the DMPonline generic template. It is broken down into sections, with guidance to help you address all relevant requirements.
• The PGR data management plan template, which must be used for confirmation of registration and annual review submissions, is also designed to be a practical tool for the student. 

Here are some tips for creating your DMP: 

• Start to develop the DMP early: before you begin collecting data, or, if relevant, before you apply for ethical approval to conduct the research. Development of a DMP is iterative, and will begin with a general outline that will gradually accrue more specific practical detail. An early draft can help you identify and address key requirements in good time, such as notifying participants of data sharing intentions at recruitment, identifying the repository that data will ultimately be deposited in, and clarifying with research collaborators/partners the processes required to clear data for release. If you have already written a DMP as part of a grant application or ethical review application, this can provide a starting point.
• If the research is a team project, develop the DMP as a team. The DMP should have an accountable owner and be developed with the input of everyone in the team who is involved in data management. Everyone in the team should be aware of the DMP and know where to find it.
• Use a template or planning tool to structure the DMP and make sure you cover everything.  A standard/generic template, e.g. the DMPonline DCC Template, or, for doctoral students, the PGR DMP template, should be used.
• Develop the plan in as much detail as you need. The important thing is that the DMP is a practical resource for the project. This may involve recording considerable detail, e.g. about protocols for data collection, quality assurance, and anonymisation. Imagine what would happen if a key member of the team left and someone else had to take over their data management responsibilities. What would they need to know?
• Maintain the DMP as a living document, which is regularly reviewed and updated as the research progresses. Keeping an up-to-date DMP will make it easier for you to meet the University’s requirements, and should have practical benefits in helping you to keep organised and maintain the quality of your data. Ensure team members are aware of and follow the plan, and review the plan on a regular basis, updating it as the project progresses. It could be a standing item on the agenda for project team meetings.
• If you need help writing your project DMP, or would like your DMP to be reviewed, contact the Research Data Service.

We provide training on data management planning, for both staff and students. Visit our training information for more details.