The majority of funding agencies now require a two page maximum document that describes what data are produced during the grant, who is responsible for that data, where it will be stored and managed, and what will happen to the data after the grant is completed. In short, the DMP explains the who, what, when, why, where of the data created during a grant and what happens to that data after the grant completion. When writing a DMP, it’s recommended to follow your grant funder’s requirements. The DMPTool Online is a wizard that has a library of funders’ DMP templates, offers examples of public DMPs, and allows users to log in using their NetID and use a simple text editor to answer a particular funder’s DMP questions. The Office of the Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs also has information on how to prepare your grant and tips for NSF funders.
Many disciplines have their own subject repositories where researchers can deposit data for short or long periods of time. Requirements for submitting data vary and it is best to confer with colleagues and the subject repository in question as to the deposit process. The Registry of Research Data Repositories provides a list of repositories by subject and/or content type. If there is no subject repository available for your data, the UConn Library offers long term preservation services in their Research Data Archive. For information and details about the submission process, consult UCL Research Data Services.
or contact researchdata@uconn
Most grants stipulate that some form of the data be shared with the public beyond what is written in a publication. When thinking about sharing data with others, it is best to think about how you want others to use your data. Are the data only for educational uses? Can commercial entities use your data? Do the data need to be embargoed? Do the data need to have a citable link? Who is contact person for the data? Creative Commons has a quick wizard to help select an appropriate license that will communicate how these data are to be shared and re-used. Also, before you share your data, it is important to comply to policies such as the Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) or to the requirements of your funder or partners. It is important to understand your rights as well as how you would like others to use or consult your data.
Having documentation about your project is essential. This information can be in a README file which is just a text file written using TextEdit, Notepad or even Word. Information about the project can also be entered into a form when you submit your data to a subject repository. Beyond documenting your work, many data management plans ask the researcher to elaborate on what’s called metadata. Metadata is information that provides context for your project and is sometimes referred to as contextual information. This includes information on the title, creator(s), relevant dates, how data can be shared and re-used, embargoes. etc. Some disciplines have developed community standards for contextual information or metadata such as GIS with its CSGDM standard or social sciences with DDI. If you not sure what metadata standards are appropriate to document or contextualize your data, contact us at researchdata@uconn.edu