Remediation Data Management Plans

A Tool for Recovering Research Data from Messy, Messy Projects

Abstract

 Data   Management   Plans   (DMPs)   have   been   used   in   the   last   decade   to   encourage   good data   management   practices   among   researchers.   DMPs   are   widely   used,   preventive   tools that   encourage   good   data   management   practices.   DMPs   are   traditionally   used   to   manage data   during   the   planning   stage   of   the   project,   often   required   for   grant   proposals,   and   prior to   data   collection.   In   this   paper   we   will   use   a   case   study   to   argue   that   Data   Management  Plans   can   be   useful   in   improving   the   management   of   the   data   of   research   projects   that  have   moved   beyond   the   planning   stage   of   the   research   life   cycle.   In   particular,   we   focus  on   the   case   of   active   projects   where   data   has   already   been   collected   and   is   still   being  analyzed.   We   discuss   the   differences   and   commonalities   in   structure   between   preventive Data   Management   Plans   and   remedial   Data   Management   Plans,   and   describe   in   detail   the additional   considerations   that   are   needed   when   writing   remedial   Data   Management   Plans: the   goals   and   audience   of   the   document,   the   data   inventory,   and   an   implementation   plan.