Why manage and share your data?

Funding Agency Requirements

Many funding agencies require data management plans for different reasons. Tailor your plan to the goals and requirements of the funding agency. Funders typically ask how you will:

• Protect confidentiality, consent, and safety of research subjects
• Promote data sharing and transparency
• Supports efforts to verify and replicate research findings

Transparency and Replication of Research Findings

• Replication relies on clear documentation of data and changes used in analyses
• Reuse of data for new applications is common in most disciplines
• Requests for data may follow from publication of results, and advance preparation simplifies the response process

Data Preservation and Annotation

• Documentation of data items and structure at the time of compilation reduces the time needed to understand data organization and contents should the data be needed in future
• Duke requires the retention of research data and pertinent notes for at least 5 years after completion of a project
• Early attention to data documentation and preservation plans reduces the effort required to transition to permanent storage
• Changes in research staff impact the progression of a research project to a lesser extent with clear documentation and planning
• Preservation in a data repository provides an additional backup for your research data

Citations and Recognition

• Data repositories provide another route to the discovery of your research and can increase the visibility of your work, especially when used widely