1.
All an NCP should know about DMPs,
but didn’t have the time to ask!
Sarah Jones
Digital Curation Centre, Glasgow
sarah.jones@glasgow.ac.uk
Twitter: @sjDCC
#fosteropenscience

2.
Starting principles:
what is a DMP and
Open and FAIR?

3.
What is a Data Management Plan?
A brief plan written at the start of a project to define:
• how the data will be created?
• how it will be documented?
• who will access it?
• where it will be stored?
• who will back it up?
• whether (and how) it will be shared & preserved?
DMPs are often submitted as part of grant applications, but are useful
whenever researchers are creating data.

4.
H2020 template in Open Research Data pilot
1. Data summary
2. FAIR data
2.1 Making data findable, including provisions for metadata
2.2 Making data openly accessible
2.3 Making data interoperable
2.4 Increase data re-use (through clarifying licences)
3. Allocation of resources
4. Data security
5. Ethical aspects
6. Other issues
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/oa_pilot/h2020-hi-oa-data-mgt_en.pdf

5.
What is FAIR?
A set of principles that describe the attributes
data need to have to enable and enhance reuse,
by humans and machines
Image CC-BY-SA by SangyaPundir

6.
What is Open Data?
“Open data and content can be freely used,
modified, and shared by anyone for any purpose”
Open Definition

7.
Open and FAIR data
Image CC-BY by European Commission FAIR Data Expert Group
• FAIR and Open are not synonymous.
Data can be both, one or neither.
• Both Open and FAIR are on a scale.
Advocate for data to be ‘as open as
possible as closed as necessary’ and
as FAIR as possible
• DMPs are useful regardless of
whether data will be made Open or
not. Early indications are that DMPs
will be mandatory under FP9 /
Horizon Europe

8.
Key facts about
DMPs in H2020

9.
1 2 3When is a DMP required
under H2020?
• At grant application
stage
• By month 6 of the
project
• At several points
• Never (it is opt in)
Are data management &
sharing costs eligible?
• Yes
• Some are (e.g. storage
and repository costs)
• Only if justified and
not double-dipping
• No
Which of the following is NOT
a good reason to opt out?
• Project will not generate data
• None of the partners has the
technical or financial capacity
needed
• Conflict with confidentiality or
security obligations
• The achievement of the
action’s main objective would
be jeopardised
What do you know? Pop quiz time…

10.
When is a DMP needed?
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
• First version of DMP due as a deliverable by month 6
• DMP needs to be updated whenever significant changes arise
• Updates at minimum in time with periodic evaluation/assessment or final review
• M6 deliverable can be reopened for updates
Traditionally application stage but increasingly in-project or ‘living’ documents

11.
Costing RDM
Costs related to open access to research data are eligible as part of the
Horizon 2020 grant (if compliant with the Grant Agreement conditions).
These could include numerous things:
• Data storage costs
• Transcription or anonymisation
• Software, tools and training
• Deposit fees applied by data centres
• …..
Always justify the costs and make it clear what you have access to already

12.
Opting out of the ORD pilot
Projects may opt out of the Pilot on Open Research Data in a series of cases:
• If the project will not generate / collect any data
• Conflict with obligation to protect results
• Conflict with confidentiality obligations
• Conflict with security obligations
• Conflict with rules on protection of personal data
• If the achievement of the action’s main objective would be jeopardised
Can opt out at any time (at application, during GAP and mid project)
H2020 AGA p. 239 - 240

13.
Common misconceptions
• Projects will not be evaluated more favourably by being in ORD pilot and
opening data
• There is an optional data management section at the proposal stage which
will be evaluated under ‘impact’ but this is not a DMP
• Being in pilot doesn’t mean opening all data – is for projects to decide
what to share and how
• Introduction of FAIR data management guidelines is intended to emphasise
RDM not just open data

14.
Funders are
evaluating DMPs
though sanctions
are still rare

15.
H2020 review process
Project Officer looks at DMP as deliverable
Some may ask project reviewers or external experts to assess
Assessment made based on internal framework aligned with FAIR template
Key aspects highlighted in FOSTER training:
– Data formats (ideally open or in common use)
– Metadata (rich description, use of standards, controlled vocabularies)
– Repository (deposit in domain repos if available, or Zenodo / IRs / generic services…)
– PIDs (may not be explicitly mentioned but repository may assign)
– Licenses (preferably open or justified if not)

16.
Guidelines for reviewers
AHRC - what the reviewer will be asked to assess
• Does the information in the DMP seem appropriate for the research project being proposed?
Would you expect to see anything different in your view?
• Will the DMP enable the project’s data creation, outputs and storage needs in your opinion?
• Are there any other areas that need more attention?
• Overall – does the plan for data seem feasible, sensible, appropriate and valid?
ESRC (economic and social) DMP guidance for peer-reviewers
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/files/funding/guidance-for-peer-reviewers/data-
management-plan-guidance-for-peer-reviewers
Several assessment rubrics for UK funders in Research Data Network community
collection on Zenodo https://zenodo.org/communities/rdn

17.
Consequences…
• DMP often considered separately from scientific excellence of the research
• A poor DMP could be a reason for rejecting a proposal, but conditional
awards are more likely
• Projects may be asked to reconsider and update information
• Final grant payment can be withheld if data not offered for deposit (ESRC)
• Anecdotal evidence from UK unis suggests that a poor DMP can mean a
project isn’t funded when results are tied

18.
Example DMPs
guidance and
tools to support
researchers

19.
Example DMPs
Plans from several funders and disciplines via DCC
www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/data-management-plans/guidance-examples
108 DMPs from the National Endowment for the Humanities
www.neh.gov/divisions/odh/grant-news/data-management-plans-successful-grant-
applications-2011-2014-now-available
LIBER DMP catalogue in Zenodo
https://zenodo.org/communities/liber-dmp-cat
DMPs published in RIO journal
http://riojournal.com/browse_user_collection_documents.php?collection_id=3&journal_id=17
Share yours! - www.dcc.ac.uk/share-DMPs

20.
Data repositories
www.re3data.org
The EC guidelines point to Re3data as one of the registries that can be
searched to find a home for data
www.fosteropenscience.eu/content/re3data-demo

21.
Considerations when selecting repositories
• Often preferable to use a subject specific repository if available
• Useful if repositories assign a persistent identifier
• Look for certification as a ‘Trustworthy Digital Repository’ with an explicit
ambition to keep the data available in long term.
• Generic repositories are also available e.g. Zenodo or institutional repositories
Icons to note
open access,
licenses, PIDs,
certificates…

22.
Where to find relevant standards?
Metadata Standards Directory
Broad, disciplinary listing of standards
and tools. Maintained by RDA group
https://rdamsc.dcc.ac.uk
FAIRsharing
A portal of data standards, databases,
and policies
Focused on life, environmental and
biomedical sciences, but expanding to
other disciplines
https://fairsharing.org

23.
Dataset licensing
Horizon 2020
guidelines point to:
or

24.
EUDAT licensing tool
Answer questions to determine which licence(s) to use
https://ufal.github.io/public-license-selector

25.
DMPonline from the DCC
https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk
• Templates for UK, Dutch
funders, EC & ERC
• Unis can customise to add
templates, guidance, examples
and see usage stats
• Support plan review
• Users can share (co-author)
plans, make visible within uni
and publish publicly
• Export to a variety of formats
• Run by DCC since 2010

26.
How does DMPonline work?
Online tool to support researchers to develop Data
Management Plans, tailored to their context
Guidance and examples from
funders, unis, research
disciplines and others
DMP
Requirements from
funders, institutions
and others
Create Share Review Export Update …..

27.
Local instances of DMPonline
https://www.dmptuuli.fi https://dmp.opidor.fr
https://dmponline.be
https://dmponline.deic.dk
Based on Open Source
DMPRoadmap codebase
https://github.com/
DMPRoadmap

28.
German RDM Organiser
• Funded by DFG
• Different service
model: self-deploy,
not centrally-hosted
• Demo available at:
https://rdmo.aip.de

29.
Thank you! Questions?
www.fosteropenscience.eu
Twitter: @fosterscience
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