Data Management Plan (DMP)

A Data Management (DMP) or Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) details how data will be collected, processed, analyzed, described, preserved, and shared during a research project. A data management plan that is associated with a research study must include comprehensive information about the data such as the types of data produced, the metadata standards used, the policies for access and sharing, and the plans for archiving and preserving data so that it is accessible over time. Data management plans ensure that data will be properly documented and available for use by other researchers in the future. A DMP or DMS Plan are often required by grant funding agencies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) or National Institute of Health (NIH). National Library of Medicine: Data Management Plan; NIH: Data Management & Sharing Policy Overview; National Science Foundation (NSA): Funding at NSF | Preparing Your Data Management Plan