Data Management

Data management includes all the activities researchers do to collect, document, organize, describe, preserve, and share their data. Data management supports the full research lifecycle, from planning for data collection to sharing and preserving data in a repository. 

Data Management Planning 

A data management plan (DMP) is a written document that describes the data you expect to acquire or generate during the course of a research project, how you will manage, describe, analyze, and store those data, and what mechanisms you will use at the end of your project to share and preserve your data. We provide consultations about data management planning:

• Data Management Plans are required by many funders and by the University of Tennessee System Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarly Activities.
• Reach out early in the research process for assistance in developing an effective DMP.
• Use of DMPTool to create a DMP catered to the requirements of grant funders. Submit your DMP for review and comment directly from DMPTool. Alternatively, you can use a Data Management Plan Template. 

Scholarly Data Sharing 

Sharing research data allows greater visibility and recognition of your work. Sharing data furthers scholarship by allowing others to explore and use it in novel ways. We provide consultations about scholarly data sharing so that you can: 

• Understand funder requirements and your obligations for data sharing
• Select an appropriate data repository the meets funder requirements where applicable
• Collaboratively plan steps necessary to prepare your data for effective sharing
• Explore the best ways to ensure your data is preserved for future use 

Data Management Training

• We can provide data management training through instruction sessions or consultations to understand the research data lifecycle. Sessions will prepare you to integrate research data management into your research design and execution.
• We can consult on ways to integrate data management fundamentals into your course or lab sessions to better prepare your students for graduate studies or professional work.