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Plan data management

Research Data Management (RDM) means the management and organization of data during and after the active phase of a research project. It is the basis of successful research. Proper management of research data ensures the sustainability and accessibility of data in the long-term and therefore reuse for future science.

Various aspects of RDM need to be considered at different phases of a research project. This includes e.g. the collection/generation, organization and storage of data, as well as documentation, version control and decisions about archiving and preservation of data after the research project has concluded. You should also decide which data should be discarded, what should be kept and what can be shared.

Budgeting data management

It is important to notice that data management may incur costs at different phases during a research project. The costs and resource allocation should be addressed in the early planning phases of a project. Read more about budgeting of data management in Docs CSC.

Data management plan

A Data Management Plan (DMP) is a living document where you describe how you will manage your data throughout the research life cycle. A data management plan describes:

  • which kind of research data the project has and how it will be kept safe,
  • how data is used and stored during the research project, and how reuse of the data is enabled when the project has ended,
  • what tools or services are needed at the different life cycle stages of the project,
  • how data ownership and access rights have been agreed on.

With good planning, you will be able to manage the risks associated with your data!

Ask the data support of your home organization for assistance in planning your data management. CSC supports Finnish research by providing data management solutions, including services for large volumes of data and sensitive data.

Tools for planning data management

  • FAIR Wizard – collaborate, automate, and integrate data management plans in your group or organization to become FAIR.
  • Data Stewardship Wizard – a tool for creating smart data management plans for FAIR open science.
  • DMPTuuli – data management planning tool. DMPTuuli is a DMPOnline instance tailored for Finnish research organizations.
  • DMPOnline – data management planning tool from DCC. It is useful in international collaborations.

Instructions for DMPs from research funders:

Other useful links: