1.5. Data management plan for project planning and proposal submission

When planning research, it is important to consider carefully and document the ways of collecting and processing data during the research project, to specify who has access to these data and who is responsible for them, what will happen to the data after the closure of the project, etc. To this end, it is necessary to create a data management plan and to follow it throughout the project. It is a good idea to start with the preparation of a data management plan when planning a research project and, if necessary, to supplement it during the project.

As regards research projects, it is increasingly common that funders require a data management plan to be submitted:

in the case of research grants, 6 months after the start of the project (as a rule, by 30 June);
in the case of European Commission funded projects, at the application stage.

Besides compiling a data management plant, it is necessary to find a suitable data repository for storage and publication of data. Publication of merely research results does not suffice any more, it is increasingly important to publish also the underlying data. The publication of research data in a repository helps to increase the number of citations and visibility of research, ensures the transparency of research and enables the reuse of data.

TalTech has created an institutional repository of the university – TalTechData. The first version was opened in the second half of 2021. The repository uses InvenioRDM, which is a platform based on Invenio software developed by CERN.

The TalTech library in cooperation with the Research Administration Office provides advice to researchers on matters regarding preparation of data management plans. In addition, trainings are organised and guidance materials are published. The TalTech Library in cooperation with the TalTech High Performance Computing Centre will be responsible also for archiving, long-term preservation, systematisation and making available of research data.

The guidelines and recommended forms can be found under open science, data repositories, data management plans (taltech.ee), the form of the Estonian Research Council and instructions for filling in the form.

Necessity. Creating and following a data management plan is an important part of the research process. The submission of a data management plan is required when applying for Horizon Europe project grants and research grants.

During the planning phase of a research study, it is necessary to consider and document the ways of management of research data during the study, including:

data collection and creation;
data processing and analysis;
data storage, destruction of personal data;
access to data after the end of the project.

Questions to consider. When creating a data management plan, it is useful to consider and find answers to the following questions:

What type or data will be used and how will the data be created/collected in the course of research?
Which standards and rules (laws, institutional and funder’s requirements) are applied upon data management?
What documentation and metadata are related to the research data?
Who owns the data and other rights (copyright, intellectual property right)?
Which principles of personal data protection and ethics will be applied?
How will data be stored and backed up and which infrastructure and equipment will be used?
How will access to the data be provided (including publication and restrictions after the end of the project)?
What are the roles and responsibilities of the persons who process the data?
What is the amount of resources available for data management?

Guidance materials. Various tools have been developed for the creation of data management plans, information on which can be found on the websites of research institutions.

Instructions on how to create data management plans at Tallinn University of Technology is available on the university’s website at https://taltech.ee/en/library/data-management-plan and on the website of the Library of Tallinn University of Technology under Open science, data repositories, data management plans (taltech.ee). For information on data management plans and repositories, please contact Janelle Kirss (e-mail: janelle.kirss@taltech.ee) or Signe Jantson (e-mail: signe.jantson@taltech.ee).