Before starting a new research project, the researcher draws up a data management plan (DMP). A data management plan helps your work to be more efficient and valuable for yourself and others by implementing the FAIR principles. In the DMP, the researcher specifies what kind of data will be collected, how it is collected, stored, and processed. The researcher also indicates how the data is going to be shared, archived, and published securely and legally. For externally funded projects, such as by NWO and the EU, the DMP can be a strict requirement to be able to start with the project.

What do you gain by drawing up a DMP?

• Plan on how to organise the project’s research data. This leads to a better overview and higher data findability during the research.
• Ensuring safe storage of research data. This prevents loss and unauthorised access to the research data.
• Plan archiving of research data in interoperable formats from the start of your project. This makes it easier and less time-consuming to execute the archiving process at the end of the project.
• Anticipate publishing of research data for reuse. This increases the credibility and impact of your research.

Go to Research Management Services to draw up your DMP before the start of your research. This portal contains the UvA’s DMP template which is also approved by NWO. You can log in using your UvA ID with 2-factor authentication, using the Tiqr App, and add internal or external collaborators if applicable. After you have submitted your DMP through RMS, a data steward of the Humanities Faculty will provide feedback on it. The data stewards are also available for consultation while drawing up the DMP in RMS.

If you need a DMP for a funding body other than NWO, e.g. the EU, check whether a specific template other than the UvA template is needed. If so, you may use DMPonline which contains templates of various funding bodies. Create an account and share your DMP with a data steward of your faculty, receive feedback on it and download the plan. Also upload the final plan at the data management page of your RMS project.

Some research projects work with human participants, using questionnaires, interviews, experiments or observations to obtain research data. Working with participants in most cases leads to collecting and processing personal data.

Personal data is any kind of data that can be traced back to a natural person. If personal data is collected and processed, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – Dutch Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming (AVG) – applies. The GDPR is EU legislation on data protection and privacy aimed at protecting people with regard to the processing of their personal data.

When working with participants and/or personal data, the project needs approval from the Faculty’s Ethics Committee before the research starts. Please read the webpage of the Ethics Committee for more information about applying for Ethics Approval.