How to write a data management plan
A data management plan (DMP) describes how you’ll collect, store, organise, document, protect, and share your data — and it’s written before the first data point, not after. A DMP written afterwards is a description, not a plan: it can’t guide a single decision because every decision is already made, and it often documents practices you never actually followed. Many funders and institutions now require one at the proposal stage.
What a DMP covers
- Data & formats — what you’ll collect, and in which file formats (prefer open, durable ones).
- Organisation — file-naming and version conventions, so “final_FINAL_v3” never happens.
- Storage & backup — where it lives and the backup rule (a common one: 3 copies, 2 media, 1 offsite).
- Documentation & metadata — a data dictionary and README so the data is intelligible without you in the room.
- Ethics & protection — how sensitive data is secured, anonymised, and consented for its uses.
- Sharing & archiving — how and where the data is preserved and made available after the project.
The FAIR principles
Good data management aims to make data FAIR — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable — so that others, and your future self, can locate it, obtain it, combine it, and reuse it. Many funders now expect FAIR-aligned management where the data’s sensitivity allows. FAIR doesn’t mean “open to everyone” — sensitive data can be FAIR while access is controlled.
Why write it first
The whole value of a DMP is that it shapes decisions while they’re still open: your file-naming, your storage, your consent wording, your metadata. Decide them up front and the data stays clean, safe, and shareable from day one — which is also why the DMP belongs in your research proposal, alongside the methods it supports.
Get the free Data Collection toolkit
A fill-in data-management-plan starter plus questionnaire and measurement templates — from Research Design Simplified. We’ll email you the download link.
Frequently asked questions
What is a data management plan?
A short document describing how you’ll collect, store, organise, document, protect, and share your data — written before collection.
What should it include?
Data & formats, file organisation, storage & backup, documentation/metadata, ethics & protection, and sharing/archiving.
What are the FAIR principles?
Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable — guidance for managing data so it can be located, obtained, combined, and reused.
When should I write it?
Before collecting data, usually at the proposal stage — so it can actually shape your decisions.