Data Management Plans
A data management plan is a formal document that outlines what you will do with your data during and after you complete your research. It describes the data that will be created, the standards used to describe the data (metadata), who owns the data, who can access the data, how long the data will be preserved (and/or made accessible), and what facilities and equipment will be necessary to disseminate, share, and/or preserve the data.
Several funding agencies require or encourage the development of data management plans for research. You should review specific guidelines for data management planning from the funding agency with which you are working.
The DMPTool is a resource designed to help researchers create ready-to-use data management plans for specific funding agencies. To access the DMPTool, you will need to log in with your Unity ID and password.
Please note that a DMP is just one part of a grant proposal. The following research records may also be important to manage during and beyond the life of a project.
Correspondence (electronic mail and paper-based correspondence)
Project files
Grant applications
Ethics applications
Technical reports
Research reports
Signed consent forms
Content on this page is adapted from the NSF Data Sharing Policy, Data Management & Sharing FAQ, University of Virginia.