---
type: concept
title: Data Management Plan (DMP)
tags: [planning, funding, research-compliance, research-data, documentation]
related: [forschungsdaten-managen, dfg, data-and-metadata-standards]
created: 2026-06-30
updated: 2026-06-30
sources: ["output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_studium_lehre_forschungsdaten_managen.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_studium_lehre_thementag_forschungsdaten_2022_themen.md"]
---

# Data Management Plan (DMP)

A **Data Management Plan (DMP)** (also referred to as **Daten-Management-Plan**) is a comprehensive formal document created at the beginning of a research project to describe how research data will be handled, collected, stored, and structured throughout the lifecycle of a project. It serves as a core tool within the broader practice of [[forschungsdaten-managen]].

## Purpose and Functions
The DMP serves several critical functions for the research process:

- **Structured Approach**: Ensures that data is handled systematically from the start of the project.
- **Sustainability**: Prevents repositories from becoming obsolete due to software and OS evolution.
- **Reproducibility**: Ensures that data can be cited in publications and verified by other researchers.
- **Publication Planning**: Helps define how data will be published or made available to the public.
- **Legal and Ethical Framework**: The planning process involves addressing rights management, copyright, data protection, and ethical aspects.
- **Good Scientific Practice**: Aligns with the guidelines of the [[dfg]] and the **Allianz der deutschen Wissenschaftsorganisationen**.

## Funding and Compliance
Modern funding agencies frequently require a DMP as part of the grant application process.

- **Evidence Requirement (*Belegpflicht*)**: DMPs are used to meet documentation and evidence requirements often mandated by funding agencies.
- **Sustainability Guarantee**: According to the version on disk, the [[dfg]] and other funders now demand a sustainability guarantee to ensure data remains accessible after the project's time-limited financing ends; a simple promise of data archiving or server availability is no longer sufficient.

## URZ's Role
The [[universitatsrechenzentrum-urz]] assists researchers in the development and implementation of these plans, providing the necessary technical expertise to meet the requirements of funding bodies.