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Managing data

Data management plans

A thorough knowledge of Research Data Management and sharing requirements is essential for the modern academic and HDR student. 

Planning at the start of a new research project, or thesis, will save time and resources. The Bond University online Research Data Management Plan available below will assist you with your research data planning.

What is a data management plan?
A data management plan (DMP) is a living document that describes what data will be created, what policies will apply to the data, who will own and have access to the data, what data management practices will be used, what facilities and equipment will be required, and who will be responsible for each of these activities.  Aspects of a DMP may change over time and subsequent versions will reflect current information to keep all stakeholders up to date.

Researcher responsibilities are outlined in the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018 and the new Management of Data and Information in Research. See the Policy and ethics page for further details

What does a data management plan contain? Generally a data management plan will contain details about how the following aspects will be managed:

  • The type of data to be generated or collected during the research project
  • The ownership, copyright and intellectual property in relation to the data
  • The storage of digital data
  • Confidentiality and privacy requirements in relation to the data
  • Consents required from participants for future use of the data
  • File formats
  • Volume of data
  • Retention period for the data
  • Post-project storage, access and re-use of the data

Your research data management plan

HDR students are required to commence and regularly update their DMP throughout their PhD journey. Students may consult the Research Data Planning Checklist for HDR Students below for further information on each aspect before beginning.  

All Bond researchers are encouraged to have a DMP at the commencement of a project.

Start your plan now

You will receive an email with a link to your plan and subsequent versions as it is updated over time.

The Office of Research Services now requires a final data set and Research Data Management Plan for all PhD completions.

Go to your RDMP, where you will see the following completion question on the form.  If you are preparing a final plan, select ‘Yes’ and this will alert Research Services to archive your plan.

Once completed, you can submit your plan and convert it to a PDF.  Add this to your file of documents that accompany your thesis.

See further information in this guide's pages.

Benefits of data planning

Effective management of data provides researchers with many benefits, including:

  • time saved through reduced duplication of effort
  • decreased risk of loss, theft or inappropriate use of data
  • good research practice ensures the integrity and quality of data
  • data can be understood and used now and in the future
  • increased researcher profile through data dissemination and re-use.

Managing research data

This Piers Video Production documentary, Digital Curation Centre: Managing Research Data, offers an insight into the importance of providing access to research data and the risks of not managing data effectively.

Research data management toolkit