A data management plan (DMP) is a key component of research data management. It is a document that describes how research data are collected, processed and stored during each individual project, and how it is subsequently shared and archived. A DMP enables you and your research partners to easily find and understand the data, to re-use it while meeting the requirements of funding bodies.
A DMP provides a comprehensive overview of the entire research process and is continually updated in response to changes in project circumstances. It is therefore an integral part of project management. The key topics covered by a DMP include, for example:
- Information about the project
- Data collection & processing
- Storage & backup
- Documentation
- Legal aspects
- Archiving
- Publication
- Re-use
The structure of a data management plan is similar to that of an interview. Users answer a set of structured questions relating to their research data. These questions are accompanied by helpful text, additional links and, in many cases, suggested answers. Questions that are irrelevant or do not currently apply can easily be skipped and answered at a later date. The aim is to have a “complete” DMP by the end of the research project.
Research Data Management Organiser (RDMO):
RDMO is an open source software that supports you in the systematic planning of your data management and the creation of a data management plan. JGU offers you an RDMO instance. There you will find general catalogues in German and English, as well as catalogues adapted to the requirements of different funding agencies, which will guide you through the various aspects of research data management. It is possible to work on DMPs together with project partners or to share the DMPs. It is also possible to export the DMPs you have created and use the information collected in them, e.g. for grant applications, or to archive them together with your research data. The DMPs are stored on the JGU server.
You can find JGU´s RDMO here: https://rdmo.zdv.uni-mainz.de/
RDMO of the Rhine-Main-Universities: https://rdmo.rhein-main-universitaeten.de/
There are also a number of publicly accessible DMP tools:
Biology: https://www.gfbio.org/plan
Chemistry: RDMO NFDI4Chem
Engineering: RDMO NFDI4ING
