Research data management

Funders' data policies

Research funders have been instrumental in raising the profile of research data management.  It is now considered a fundamental aspect of good research practice.  By requesting the creation and submission of a data management plan funders have been able to illustrate to researchers the many benefits of data management planning.

Benefits

Data Management Planning is not simply an activity that helps the data creator/collector decide on a well-considered course of action with regard to their data.  The resulting DMP is a document that communicates that plan to colleagues, funders and the creator's institution.

The planning process poses a set of questions that will inevitably need to be addressed - by tackling these questions at the beginning of a project you will be able to prepare responsibly and mitigate risk.

Most funders require a DMP either as part of a grant application or as part of project reporting.

UK Research and Innovation - UKRI

The funding councils that come under the UKRI umbrella require the publication and sharing of data (where possible) and a statement on the availability of data.  Possible restrictions on access or absence of data should be included in a data access statement in all published research outputs.  For more information on creating a data access statement click on the following link;

Data access statements

The Digital Curation Centre (DCC) maintain an up to date overview of Funder's policies on their web site.

Research Funders' Open Access Policies can also be searched using the Sherpa Juliet tool - where you can search by funder.  

University of Dundee Policy to Govern the Management of Research Data

The University of Dundee has a clear set of expectations with regard to research data outlined in its Policy to Govern the Management of Research Data.

The  policy endorses the following;

• Research data should be made openly accessible where possible and appropriate
• All research staff and students are expected to create a DMP
• All research data of potential interest should be assessed by the Principal Investigator for deposit in an appropriate repository with a view to preservation for a minimum 10 year period

You can create a data management plan using the DMPonline tool - this can begin as a very basic document that becomes more detailed with time.  

Writing a Data Management Plan (DMP)

If you have any queries with regard to funders' policies you can get support from the research services team at discovery@dundee.ac.uk

Learn about depositing your research data