Research Data Management

Data management plan (DMP) is intended to support your research plan. It provides a description of the life cycle of your research data, ranging from data collection, use and storage to enabling reuse or disposal. The plan must include a description of the measures to be taken to ensure ethical, safe and effective use of the data during and after the research process.

The University of Lapland’s Data Policy requires making a DMP during the early stages of the research process. Many research funders also expect a DMP to be provided as an attachment to the funding application or after funding has been granted. However, the DMP is primarily intended to support you in conducting your research. The plan can, and should, be updated and revised in the course of the research process.

The content and structure of a DMP depend on the nature of your research project as well as on the funder’s requirements. However, all plans should include the following elements:

• Project details
• General description of the data
• Ethical and legal compliance
• Documentation and metadata
• Storage and backup during the research project
• Opening, publishing and archiving the data after the research project
• Data management responsibilities and resources

Watch an introduction to data management planning produced by CSC. (CC BY-ND 4.0)

The University of Lapland recommends using the data management planning tool DMPTuuli in making the data management plan. You can use the University's own DMP template in English or in Finnish. The template is based on the General Finnish DMP Template.

DMPTuuli also includes e.g. the following funder's DMP templates:

• Academy of Finland
• Finnish Cultural Foundation
• Horizon Europe
• Business Finland

Create a DMPTuuli account. After this, you can access DMPTuuli through the HAKA authentication system. The plan created in DMPTuuli can be shared and it can be revised together with other project members. The plan can also be sent to the Library's Research Support Services for review.

Please familiarise yourself thoroughly with the instructions on making a DMP before drafting the plan or submitting it for review. Make sure that it is possible for the reviewer to easily understand what is the aim of the plan. If you are in a hurry to get the comments, please contact the library at research.library(at)ulapland.fi.

Further information on using the tool is available on the DMPTuuli website.

In particular, if you are applying for international funding, we recommend finding out if there is a tool better suited for the purposes of the application process or if the funder recommends using a particular tool.