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Digital Scholarship: Plan projects

The University Libraries' Digital Scholarship initiatives.

Data Management

Data management in research includes the processes of collecting, organizing, describing, sharing, and preserving data. Funding organizations sometimes require researchers to submit a data management plan when they apply for grants. The MSU Libraries is glad to answer questions and guide researchers as they work to manage their data.

Data Lifecycle Model

United States Geological Survey (USGS) Science Data Lifecycle Model

  1. Plan
  2. Acquire
  3. Process
  4. Analyze
  5. Preserve
  6. Publish/Share

Other Life Cycle Models

Data Management

Data Management Planning

Data management plans (DMPs) generally contain information about the following:

  • Data types created
  • Information standards used
  • Archiving and preservation of data
  • Policies and provisions to access the data
  • Long-term data collection transition or termination

If you are applying for a grant, it is best to follow the advice of the granting organization when creating a DMP. The following links provide advice and specific tools that will help create Data Management Plans.

The NSF and other granting agencies are now encouraging applicants to create DMPs that are both human readable and machine readable. Standards surrounding machine readable DMPs have not yet been widely agreed upon and adopted, but they are actively being developed. The following websites provide information about creating such DMPs or the links may provide tools to help you create such DMPs.

  • DMPTool - created by multiple universities in the U.S.
  • ezDMP - from the NSF
  • DMPnline - from the DCC in the U.K.

If you have questions regarding Data Management Plans, please contact Joshua Lambert at jlambert@missouristate.edu .