UCSF Guides: Reproducible Data Management: Make a Data Management Plan

What is a Data Management Plan?

Data management plans (DMPs) are tools for helping you organize and manage your research data throughout the life of a project. Most NIH researchers are not yet required to write a DMP, with the exception of those working with genomics data that must write a data sharing plan. Eventually DMPs will be required for all NIH researchers but in the meantime they are simply a best practice. Check out the resources below to learn more about crafting your own DMP.

Planning Resources

Ten Simple Rules for Creating a Data Management Plan
This article from PLoS Computational Biology details the steps in the data management planning process.
Data Management Plan Self-Assessment Questionnaire
This comprehensive questionnaire from Purdue University can help researchers think about all the different aspects of the research data lifecycle that should be addressed in a data management plan.
DMP Tool
The DMPTool is a free, open-source, online application that helps researchers create data management plans. The DMPTool provides a click-through wizard for creating a DMP that complies with funder requirements. It also has direct links to funder websites, help text for answering questions, and resources for best practices surrounding data management.