Your Data Management Plan (DMP) should provide answers to the following questions:

  1. Who will be responsible for data management? (sometimes written as “Who will be responsible for backup and recovery?”)
  2. What resources will you require to deliver your plan?

The tables below show considerations you should make when writing your answer, with example answers to help guide your writing.

Question: Who will be responsible for data management?

Considerations: 

  • Who ensures implementation/review of data management plan (DMP)?
  • Who ensures implementation of each DMP process? (often same person, but in some cases may be split)
  • How are responsibilities managed/shared in collaborative research projects?

Example answer: 

The PI, (named), will be responsible for the DMP, alongside data capture, metadata production, data quality, storage and backup, and data archival and sharing.

PI (named) will be responsible for maintaining DMP standards for all collaborative researchers in the project.

The PI's supervisor, (named), will be responsible if the PI is unable to fulfill their duties.

University of Salford’s DIT team will be responsible for maintaining secure storage and backup systems.

University of Salford’s Open Research team will be responsible for maintaining the institutional open data repository.

 

Question: Who will be responsible for backup and recovery?

Considerations:

Similar to above, but shorter.

Example answer:

The PI, (named), will be responsible for data storage, backup, and recovery.

The PI’s supervisor, (named), will be responsible if the PI is unable to fulfill their duties.

University of Salford’s DIT team will be responsible for maintaining secure storage and backup systems.

University of Salford’s Open Research team will be responsible for maintaining the institutional open data repository.

 

Question: What resources will you require to deliver your plan?

Considerations:

  • Needs/costs of research data storage/retention in a data repository. 
  • Needs/costs of specialist training.
  • Needs/costs of required additional hardware/software.

Example answer: 

Research data will be uploaded to (name of data repository) on the conclusion of the research project for (number of years), which will cost (estimated cost of data storage/retention across period of time).

The PI will undertake metadata training to ensure data is appropriate to upload, costing (estimated cost of training).

The PI will use (bespoke hardware name), which will cost (estimated cost of hardware).

 

Need more help?

Visit the UK Data Service. They have advice on roles and responsibilities and resources.