The DMP is a formal document that must be drafted at the beginning of the research. It describes the management actions that will be implemented during the life cycle of the data, from its creation to the end of the research project.
All DMP must include the following information:
- Determining the requirements of the financing entity
- Identifying the data to be used: typology, origin, formats, etc.
- Defining how the data will be arranged and managed: version control, file names, etc.
- Explaining how the data will be documented
- Describing how data quality is ensured
- Preparing a data storage and preservation strategy
- Defining the data policies of the project: intellectual property, processing of sensitive and personal data, etc.
- Describing how the data will be disseminated: where, which and when it will be disseminated, etc.
- Assigning roles and responsibilities
- Preparing a realistic budget for data management
There are several tools and examples that facilitate the drafting of a DMP.