USGS Data Management Plan Review Checklist

The purpose of a USGS data management plan (DMP) is to ensure USGS researchers plan to meet USGS policies related to data and information management for any given project. This DMP Review Checklist is designed to help Center Directors or designated DMP approvers flag any potential oversights or data management challenges related to policy requirements before they become an issue. The Checklist is intended to be applied at the beginning of a project, preferably before the project is started. If a DMP creator does not have a template, they may be able to use this Checklist to ensure they are addressing the most important criteria in their DMP. 

DMP reviews often take place before projects begin.  It is appropriate for DMP authors to acknowledge that certain information is not yet known and to document their plans for identifying the information in the future.  There is an expectation that DMPs will be revisited (for example, during annual project reviews) and updated as the project matures. 

Learn more about Data Management Plans.