What are data management plans or DMPs and why do I need to create them? [126]

A DMP is a document that outlines the data management considerations of a given project. A DMP describes intended actions for acquiring, processing, analyzing, preserving, publishing/sharing, describing, managing the quality of, backing up, and securing USGS data holdings. The document describes where and how you will acquire data, what standards you will use, and how data will be handled and protected during and after the completion of the project. The DMP is created before the project begins and is updated throughout the research process, as needed, to reflect the reality of project activities (SM 502.6). The USGS has a responsibility to steward its data to meet OMB open data requirements for managing Federal Government scientific information as an asset throughout the lifecycle. USGS researchers must create DMPs to help meet this responsibility. This planning enables Bureau management to anticipate the need to provide infrastructure and other support for scientific data.