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Data Management Plans

Data Management Plan Resources

Caltech Library helps researchers with data management plans (DMPs)/data management and sharing plans (DMSPs) for both grant applications and normal laboratory operations. Contact us at library@caltech.edu if you would like assistance developing or reviewing a plan.

DMP/DMSP Checklists

NSF:

NIH:

Always refer to the specific guidance for your grant proposal and funding directorate when writing a data management plan, as requirements differ.

Example DMPs/DMSPs

NSF:

NIH:

Further DMP/DMSP examples are available here.

Caltech Data Management Plan Standard Language

Caltech Library provides standard language for Caltech researchers to use in their data management plans. Please review the provided language to ensure it is accurate before using it in a grant application, as not all text will apply to every situation.

Data Sharing

This text can be used when sharing data in the CaltechDATA repository, with the exception of sharing human-subjects data. Depositing data in CaltechDATA complies with many federal data sharing mandates. If you have further questions about CaltechDATA and sharing compliance, please contact library@caltech.edu.

Once results are ready for publication, associated data files will be uploaded to the Caltech Research Data Repository (data.caltech.edu). CaltechDATA is a free service for all members of the Caltech community to share up to 500 GB of data, which will be sufficient for the public data generated from this project. Each data set will be assigned a digital object identifier (DOI), which provides a persistent machine-readable web link to the data set.  CaltechDATA collects a large set of DataCite metadata to ensure that datasets are FAIR, and utilizes a wide range of persistent identifiers including ORCIDs for individuals and RORs for affiliations and funding agencies. All publications resulting from this grant will include the DOI of the data set(s) deposited in CaltechDATA that support that work. 

Provisions for Re-use

This text can be used when sharing data under a CC-0 license, with the exception of human-subjects data which may require restricted data sharing. Please review Caltech policies regarding inventions, patents, and copyright and, as appropriate, include legal disclaimers. See: https://innovation.caltech.edu/

All publicly shared data will be licensed with a creative commons zero (CC-0) license. This dedicates all data to the public domain and allows for unrestricted re-use. It is expected that users that employ a data set generated from this grant will provide a citation. 

Data Archiving

This text can be used when sharing/archiving data in the CaltechDATA repository. Please note that this does not apply to data >500 GB or human-subjects data; groups with larger datasets should contact data@caltech.edu for guidance on sharing and archiving.

The publicly accessible data produced by this project, up to 500 GB, will be archived in the CaltechDATA repository. CaltechDATA acts as an institutional repository for data associated with Caltech, and is managed by Caltech Library. CaltechDATA is built on InvenioRDM, an open source data repository platform supported by over 20 institutional partners. All data is preserved using the OAIS reference model and multiple copies of all data sets are stored at the Caltech Library and remotely.  CaltechDATA is intended as a long-term data repository and it is expected that data will be available for the foreseeable future. At a minimum, all data will be preserved by Caltech Library at least 5 years past the tenure of this grant.

Software

The text below should be used when software is a product of research. If a particular software tool generated by this research is necessary for the data to be utilized by the public as part of the data sharing under this plan, please consult with the Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships, https://innovation.caltech.edu/, to develop an alternative licensing/sharing schema for the software.

Caltech holds the copyright in software generated under sponsored research projects, and makes such software available for commercial licensing through its Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships, and is available to U.S. Government users under a royalty free license.

Software Sharing

This text can be used when sharing software via GitHub and the CaltechDATA repository. Please contact the library at data@caltech.edu for assistance with setting up the GitHub-CaltechDATA connection.

All software generated by this project will be managed with the version control software git and shared publicly on GitHub. GitHub allows for reproducible management of software versions and input from contributors. All software will follow a standard release cycle, and each release will be assigned a DOI and preserved in the CaltechDATA repository.

Other Resources