🔴What is a DMP?

Data Management Plan Resources

reNEW - Data Management Plans Support

A Data Management Plan (DMP) is an essential tool that guides researchers in systematically organizing their entire data workflow while ensuring compliance with institutional, funder, and legal requirements. By supporting open science and adhering to the FAIR principles—making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—a well-crafted DMP ensures that research data is properly managed throughout its entire life cycle, from initial creation or acquisition to long-term storage and potential reuse.

A robust DMP helps researchers define how data will be collected, processed, documented, stored securely, shared responsibly, and preserved over time. It reduces the risk of data loss or misuse, meets funder and institutional mandates, facilitates collaboration, and enhances transparency and reproducibility. Key components of a DMP include detailed descriptions of the data to be collected (formats, volumes), collection and processing methods and tools, metadata and documentation standards, secure storage and backup plans, ethical and GDPR compliance, strategies for sharing via repositories such as Zenodo or Dataverse, plans for long-term preservation, straightforward assignment of roles and responsibilities, and an appropriate budget covering storage, software, and staff resources.

For personalized assistance with developing your DMP or any aspect of research data management, don't hesitate to contact Richard Dennis. On-site consultations are available every Wednesday from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.