Data Management Template-Scholarly Communications - Carnegie Mellon University

NSF Data Management Template

The NSF data management plan template was created by the Sheridan Libraries at Johns Hopkins University, leader of the Data Conservancy funded by the NSF.  The template was adapted, with permission, by Carnegie Mellon University Libraries.

Overview

  • Title of Plan; Author, Date, Revision, etc.
  • Project name, Award information, Funding Agencies; etc. reference to main proposal

Expected Data

Data

  • What data gets created by the project, and what form?
  • What raw data is generated, what processed data is generated?
  • What data is expected to be managed by the project of sharing and later archiving?
  • Who is expected to use the shared data?

Data Formats

  • What data formats will be used for the data generated?
  • What tools will be required to read the data?

Data Generation and Acquisition

  • How is the data generated and how is it acquisitioned?
  • What quality control/standards are applied to data generation, acquisition, and storage?
  • When is data generated?
  • What is the frequency and "rate" of data generated?

Software

  • What software does the project create?
  • What will be managed and what won't be managed?
  • Will software be archived?
  • Will software be made available for sharing?
  • Will there be any licensing, and if so, what?

Documentation and Metadata

  • What data and metadata standards will be employed?
  • How will metadata be generated (automatically, manually, or both?)
  • How will metadata be stored and managed?
  • How will unique identifiers be managed?
  • What naming schemes will be used?
  • Data dictionaries/taxonomies/ontologies?

Data Storage and Preservation

Storage and Backup During the Project

  • Who is responsible for the stored data
  • Who is responsible for data backups
  • What digital and non-digital data will be stored?
  • Where will the data be stored and backed up, what policies will be in place?
  • What will the access controls on data stored be?
  • What are the backup procedures for data generated?

Data capacity and Volume

  • Volumes of data and rates of creation and ingestion?

Security

  • Are there any data with specific security issues?
  • How will security be enforced in the system?

Operation Storage Post-Project Completion

  • How will data be stored after the project has been completed
  • What mechanisms, policies, agreements, etc. will be used to manage data after the project has been completed?

Long-Term Archiving and Preservation

  • What data will be archived?
  • Where will data be archived?
  • Who will manage and administer the archive?
  • What metadata will be required?
  • What will the access controls be?
  • What will the retention and disposition policies be?

Roles  and responsibilities

  • Who makes decisions regarding the overall data management?
  • Who makes decisions regarding day-to-day data management?
  • What is the role and responsibility of the organization that preserves the data?

Data Retention

  • How long will each type of data be kept? And why?
  • When will data be made available for sharing?
  • Are there any data embargoes, if so, what?

Operational data

  • Who will be responsible for the data in the near-term following project completion?

Archival Data

  • Who will be responsible for the data for long-term archiving (beyond the most active use of the data?)

Data Sharing and Dissemination

  • What data will be shared?
  • When will data be shared?
  • What restrictions are there on subsequent data use?
  • How will the data be made available?
  • What metadata will be generated to ensure the data is accessible?

Stakeholders

  • Who will data be made available to?
  • What data will be made available to what stakeholders?

Privacy and confidentiality  

  • Are there any data with privacy issues?
  • Are there any data relating to human subjects, and what policies need to be adhered to?
  • How will any such privacy requirements be enforced?

Ownership, Copyright, and IP

  • Is any of your data copyrightable (i.e. non-factual in nature?)  If so, who holds that copyright?

Third Party Data

  • Is any of the data owned by someone else?
  • What are the conditions of use, sharing, and dissemination?

Legal and Regulatory

  • Describe any other legal and/or regulatory contstraints on sharing and dissemination of data.

Reuse

  • What is the policy on reuse of the data, citations, and production of derivatives?

Ethical Requirements

  • Does this work involve human subjects, and if so what policies and procedures must be adhered to?