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Tuesday, 26 January 2021 10:46

Research Data Management Plans – the why and the how?

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Research Data Management Plans – the why and the how?

A data management plan (DMP) is a document that outlines the description of a dataset and all the activities planned or already carried out as part of research. In a DMP, it's necessary to define the dataset, describe the planned activities, select an appropriate location (e.g., a digital repository) for data storage, ensure access and use of the data, and inform about the tools needed for result validation and/or secondary data analysis. This openness to research data is supported by numerous global scientific institutions, such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Economic and Social Research Council, and the European Commission, which has introduced the requirement for data management plan submission for projects aiming to be part of the Horizon 2020 program, a requirement also being considered by the Croatian Science Foundation (CSF).

Only data necessary for result validation can be shared, and exceptions to the obligation to store research data in open access are possible for valid reasons (commercialization of research results, data sensitivity, hindrance to achieving the main research goal, etc.). Even when not mandatory, a DMP can save time and effort, especially for sharing data, as its continuous updating simplifies data sharing for reuse even after the project's completion. It can serve as a checklist to ensure that collected data are most efficiently utilized, as a guide that leads us through different phases and aspects of data management, and as documentation of all activities within the project. You can read more about research data openness, including how and why to share it, in the University Computing Centre's manual "Research Data – What to Do with It?" (in Croatian).

Argos: A Data Management Plan Toolstart new

Currently, scientists have access to several free tools for creating data management plans, such as DMPonline, which is well-equipped with instructions and examples for its use, and a relatively new tool called Argos.Argos is a web-based tool created through collaboration between OpenAIRE and EUDAT CDI, with the aim of facilitating the creation and implementation of data management plans. It can be used to review public data management plans, create your own plans collaboratively with colleagues, publish your plans in open access, learn the basics of research data management through the plan creation process, and more. Argos offers templates that you can use as a reference when creating your own DMP, creating entirely new DMPs, publishing and reusing public data, importing and exporting completed DMPs, updating them, and connecting to OpenAIRE and EOSC services and resources. Argos templates can also be used when preparing DMPs as part of project applications to funding institutions, such as the upcoming projects of the Croatian Science Foundation.

Within a single project, it's possible to create multiple datasets based on data type or scientific discipline, which can then be copied to other DMPs on the platform, greatly reducing the time cost when duplicating data for other projects.

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The platform is user-friendly and already filled with many features for creating DMPs, and it could significantly contribute to the work of scientists, assist funding bodies in project management, and support institutions in promoting open and FAIR data.

 

Argos - Plan and follow your data / OpenAIRE. URL: https://www.openaire.eu/argos-guide (Accessed 18.1.2021.)

Bowman, S. (2020.) Creating a data management plan (DMP) document / OSF Guides. URL: https://help.osf.io/hc/en-us/articles/360019931133-Creating-a-data-management-plan-DMP-document (Accessed 18.1.2021.)

Data Management Plans – content / School of Advanced Study. URL: https://port.sas.ac.uk/mod/book/view.php?id=1221&chapterid=740 (Accessed 18.1.2021.)

Vodopijevec, A. and Kranjec, I. (2018.) Otvoreni istraživački podaci. In: Hebrang Grgić, I. (ed.), Otvorenost u znanosti i visokom obrazovanju. Zagreb: Školska knjiga, pp. 93-112.

 

 

Last modified on Thursday, 03 March 2022 14:25