Engineering: Research Data Management

Managing research data can be complicated, let the library lend a hand!

The following are the areas in which consultations and instruction is available.

Topics to Consider: 

• Before Your Research
  • Data Management Plan consultation
  • Federal Funding Requirements
  • Documentation, copyright, and University policies
• During Your Research
  • ​Inventory, Storage, and Backup 
  • Data use and citation
  • Documentation tools and Metadata
• After Your Research
  • ​Disciplinary Repositories
  • Sharing Data
  • Preservation

A data management plan (DMP) helps researchers work with, manage, share and archive their data effectively.  A DMP typically describes:

• What data will be produced as a part of the project
• How each type of data will be organized, documented, standardized, stored, protected, shared and archived
• Who will take responsibility for carrying out the activities listed above, and
• When these activities will take place over the course of the project (and beyond) 

Why do you need a data management plan?

• Many funding agencies require data management plans to ensure future access to grant supported research data.
• Ensure that your data will be accessible and usable in the future.
• Create and maintain a permanent archive of the data that supports your research findings.
• Provide enhanced access to your publications. 
  

What is in a data management plan?

• Description of types of data, samples, and physical collections you will be creating.
• Standards you will use for your data and the metadata that will describe it.
• Policies for sharing, accessing, and re-using your data.
  
• Methods for archiving and preserving your data.

The DMP Tool is a service built to help researchers create a data management plan according to your needs and based on agency guidelines. You can currently create an account and use the tool.