Data management plans
Accordion
Manchester Met requires each new research project to produce a data management plan (DMP) to ensure that all aspects of data management are considered at the start of the project.
Many research funders also have specific DMP guidelines including templates and requirements for data management. If you have funder requirements to produce a DMP, you only need to produce one.
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What is a data management plan?
A data management plan (DMP) is a document describing how you will manage your data throughout your research project. It details what data you will collect and how it will be organised, stored, and preserved. A DMP will also help you plan for sharing the data at the end of the project by considering restrictions and what steps you can take to remove these.
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Funder policies
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have agreed common principles on research data and many UK funders have aligned their data policies to these.
The Digital Curation Centre has a summary of data policies for various funders.
If you are unsure if your funder has a policy, you can contact your Research Development Manager or the Research Services Librarians.
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How do I get started writing a DMP?
The Library recommends using DMPOnline. It is a free tool that will help you write your DMP as well as provide guidance and funder templates.
You will need to create an account which will allow you to save your progress and share it with your project partners. When you’re finished, you can download your DMP to keep alongside your project work.
The Digital Curation Centre has a Checklist for Data Management Plans.
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What support can I get for my DMP?
Your Research Development Manager can provide support for writing DMPs as part of funding bids.
The Library reviews DMPs as part of funding bids and you can email it to us at [email protected]. Be aware that it may take time for us to get back to you, so send it to us in advance of your funder’s deadline.
The Library also runs workshops on using DMPOnline. These are listed in the Library Workshops page and the staff events calendar. We are also happy to run bespoke sessions.
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Planning to share
Much data, even sensitive data, can be shared, but you need to plan for it. If you have requirements to share your data, or you anticipate it will be of value for future research, it is good practice to consider how you will do this at the beginning of your project. Plans to share should be outlined in your Data Management Plan and your ethics application.
It is important to be aware that when collecting data from participants, you will need to gain permission to share the data.
You will find more information on managing and sharing sensitive data in the Sensitive Data and Sharing Data sections.