A data management plan systematically describes how research data are managed within research projects. It documents the storage, indexing, maintenance and processing of data. A data management plan is essential in order to make data interpretable and re-usable for third parties. It is therefore recommended to assign data management responsibilities before the start of a project.

Many research funding institutions now ask that research grant proposals address research data management and include at least some elements of a data management plan. See, for example, the German Research Foundation’s website on handling research data. The University Library’s Research Data Management Team can provide you with helpful advice when putting together your data management plan.