Research data planning

There are a number of decisions that must be made to properly govern and manage your research data.  A useful process is to walk through a plan, mapping all the main decisions you’ll have to make about our research data.

At Monash there is no internal requirement for researchers to centrally lodge a formal data management plan.  However, in accordance with the University's policies and the Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), researchers are strongly encouraged to consider how they will manage their data through the research project, and retain a copy of this plan for their own records.  Funding agencies are also increasing their emphasis on data planning and it is becoming common for this information to be supplied as part of the application or awarding of a grant.

To assist in this planning process, we have developed a structured, updatable and compliant tool that we call DMP+.  It is a comprehensive plan of how you intend to handle your data including:

  • clarifying roles and responsibilities in the research team, including the IP and other rights collaborators or funders may exercise;
  • specifying the policies, procedures and agreements with which you must comply;
  • summarising the type of data assets you will generate, collect or use;
  • specifying the data systems, tools and platforms you will utilise; and
  • recording procedures and tools you will use to manage and protect your data along the research data value chain.

The DMP+ Tool 

DMP+ has been developed in REDCap which is a secure web application for managing online surveys and databases.  It includes branching logic so only relevant questions about your data will be displayed as you answer previous questions.

Upon completion of your DMP+ a PDF copy containing your responses will be sent to the email provided that can be shared with funders, collaborators or other stakeholders who want to know how you will be governing your data.

When is the best time to undertake DMP+?

Explore the usefulness of undertaking and updating a DMP+ throughout your research project by clicking on the appropriate tab below:

When you are applying for your research funding, you are able to initiate a DMP+ Lite (click here to access), a light weight version of DMP+, that will help you understand many of the aspects of how you will manage your research data including:

  • the type of data you will be collecting and/ or generating and from you it will be sourced;
  • the data systems you will require to collect, generate, analyse, hold, transfer and/ or share your data;  and
  • intentions for outputting, publishing and/ or sharing your data.

These aspects of how you will govern and manage your data may need to be specified as part of your application process or be required in your budgeting process to understand the level of funding you will require.

Alternatively, you may choose to initiate a more comprehensive DMP+ directly at this stage.

Creating a plan for how you intend to govern and handle your research data is an important part of research planning.  Some of these details may be embedded in a protocol, ethics application or funding application.  Or you may have developed a collaborative agreement with other researchers or other institutions.  It could be that you have mapped out a workplan for your research.

Whatever way you are doing your planning, DMP+ can help you to chart out what you need to plan for in dealing with your research data.

Click here to access the tool.

With your project up and running, you may face a number of situations where what you have planned is not what has happened.  You may need to review your DMP+ to reflect the changed circumstances.

For longitudinal studies, you are able to automatically receive a notification to review your DMP+.

For more information, please contact researchdatagovernance@monash.edu

With your research complete, you now have an opportunity of finalising your DMP+ and create a complete record of your research data including:

  • What data will be retained, where and for how long;
  • Details of your data dictionary, terminology or standardised data

DMP+ Lite

A "lite" version of DMP+ is available if you are needing to outline your data governance and management arrangements for funding applications or other preparatory work.  Like DMP+, at completion a PDF copy containing your responses will be sent to the email provided that can be shared with funders, collaborators or other stakeholders who want to know how you will be governing your data.

At a later stage, you are able to convert your DMP+ Lite into a full DMP+ by following a few easy steps.

Click here to begin a DMP+ Lite.

Please note: DMP+ and DMP+ Lite are designed to help researchers govern and manage their data effectively and are not mandated by the University unless required by your department/ school, funders and/ or  your collaborators.