Data Management Plans

A data management plan (DMP) is a formal document that outlines what you will do with your data both during your research and after it’s completed.

Many federal and non-federal funding agencies require formalized DMPs, and they are also useful for projects without external funding.

DMPs typically:

  • Describe the data your research will generate or collect
  • Describe how you will document your data, including metadata standards and tools
  • Detail how and when the data will be shared with others
  • Document where and how data will be stored and archived for long-term access

DMPs do not change the way intellectual property is handled under federal awards. Universities are still able to hold copyright in works created under the award and to obtain title to patents conceived or reduced to practice under the award. DMPs do require researchers to articulate how they are obtaining and providing permissions to the data.

Obtaining Permissions

Sometimes, researchers obtain data in the course of their study that are confidential or have other restrictions. These restrictions should be noted in a DMP. Other times, researchers obtain data under a donation or bailment, and these should be noted in a DMP as well.

IIT can work with you if you need to request permissions for using others’ data. Facts alone are not copyrighted, but their arrangement may be sufficient original expression to merit copyright. Some databases contain a mix of copyrighted and available data for your project.

Granting Permissions

We encourage researchers to consider what permissions are appropriate for users of their data once it's made available and to make those permissions clear in the DMP. Factors to consider include:

  • Attribution
  • Notification of use
  • Redistribution
  • Quality control

In some cases, researchers may not be concerned about any of the above factors and can effectively donate the data to the public. In other cases, researchers may want to restrict certain types of data or certain uses of data. IIT can help you set permissions for sharing and distributing data you generate during your research.

IIT Guidance on Structuring Data Permissions Request Permissions Consultation

Creating DMPs

IIT , the UO Libraries, and Information Services work together to provide researchers with information on best practices in data management.

The UO Libraries has detailed considerations for creating DMPs as well as a DMP Creation Tool that offers funder-specific guidance on writing your DMP.

UO Libraries DMP Guidance UO Libraries DMP Creation Tool

Sponsor-specific Considerations

Some federal agencies that require DMPs have specific guidelines and requirements.

NIH Sharing Policies NSF Sharing Policies