What are data management plans?
This tutorial, created by the Research Data Management Initiative of Humboldt University in Berlin, provides an overview of data management plans.

What are data management plans? Why are they needed? What aspects do they address? Where can you find further information? These questions are answered in this tutorial.

What is a data management plan?
Data management plans include all the information necessary to adequately describe and document the collection, preparation, storage, archiving, and publication of research data in the context of a research project.
DMPs serve as strategic analyses of the research process from conception to project completion and beyond. They outline how data is generated, processed, secured, and ultimately stored, archived, or shared.

Why are data management plans needed?
Data management plans are increasingly required by international and German research funders at the proposal stage. While their names or structures may differ, they ultimately serve the same purpose: to increase transparency about how the collected data will be managed during and after the project.
Although creating a DMP initially requires time, it proves worthwhile in the long run. A helpful side effect is the ability to organize data more effectively with partners and to have a clear plan for what will happen to the data. This provides a secure framework and facilitates reuse in future research projects.

What aspects are covered in a data management plan?
After providing general project information, such as project name and project leadership, detailed information about your project’s research data is expected.

• Which data will you generate, how will it be generated, what file formats will be created, and how will you organize and manage the files?
• Which data do you want to share only within your project, and which will you make available to colleagues or the public?
• How will you store your files, and which data should be preserved and documented for the long term?
• Who is responsible for which processes, and what costs will arise for data preparation, storage, and archiving?

These are the questions that should be addressed in a data management plan.
The scope of such a plan can vary from a few sentences to several pages. This depends on the diversity of the research data and how differently they are handled.
Write the plan to the best of your knowledge and try to outline all important steps concisely. Use available checklists and instructions to complete the necessary details.

Where can you find more information?
The exact structure of the data management plan and the desired level of detail depend on the specific research funder. Therefore, check the respective website for formal requirements.