Data Management Plans


Group Collaborating

Data Management Plan

Learn how to develop and request feedback on a Data Management Plan.

Woman in Lab with Microscope

Technology Control Plan

Learn how to develop and request feedback on a Technology Control Plan.

Data Fundamentals

What is data?

Research data is any information that has been collected, observed, generated, or created. Research data includes but is not limited to:

  • Documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoints
  • Transcripts, questionnaires, codebooks
  • Audio, video, photographs
  • Specimens, samples, artifacts
  • Circuits, sensor readings, telemetry
  • Protein or genetic sequences
  • Models, diagrams, blueprints
  • Algorithms, scripts, code
  • Lab notebooks, field notebooks, diaries

What is meta-data?

Metadata is documentation that describes data. Good metadata is essential to discovery, validation, and reproducibility of research. See Metadata for more information.

What is data management?

Data management is the care and maintenance of data that is produced during the lifecycle of a research project.

What is a data management plan?

A data management plan is a plan that outlines and formally documents how data will be organized, stored, preserved, and disseminated as part of a research project. It details how data will be managed during the research lifecycle and describes how a researcher will adhere to data security requirements, if applicable.

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