Of Policy, Practice and Tools: Data Management Planning in the Social Sciences in the UK

Public funders place increasing importance in data management planning (DMP) for research projects in improving the longevity of research data, and enabling widespread access and reuse. The UK's Economic and Social Research Council's new data policy continues the trend by mandating DMPs as an integral part of all research award applications. Support services have followed suit by developing tools and guidance for researchers to plan and implement data management throughout their work. The Digital Curation Centre has developed a web-based tool, DMP Online, which helps researchers develop data management plans according to their funders' requirements. The UK Data Archive, where data resulting from ESRC-funded research are archived and made available to the academic community, works closely with researchers on data sharing, providing data management guidance and advice. Ongoing efforts combine the strengths of all involved, integrating DMP Online into the ESRC application form, with UKDA and DCC providing guidance for researchers to develop strong plans - and for reviewers to evaluate these. Discussions also focus on how ESRC might monitor how plans are operationalised, and how good data management is demonstrated. In the longer term, this collaboration may provide a model for an integrated approach to DMP across all funders