Efficient research data management requires good planning. Establishing a data management plan (DMP) helps to structure the research process, identify potential problems and ensures that the data collected are handled responsibly and in accordance with academic standards. You should ideally create a DMP at the very beginning of a project and continually update it as the project progresses. The DMP follows the life cycle of the research data:

• What data will be collected, examined, generated or reused?
• How will the data be organized and documented?
• How and where will the data be stored?
• What legal and ethical issues need to be addressed?
• Where will the data be published and archived at the end of the project?

Since October 2017, the Swiss National Science Foundation has required a DMP to be included with all applications for research project funding. The Lucerne ZHB has created a checklist to help researchers establish a DMP. We're happy to provide individual support and advice.