Writing a High Quality Data Management Plan

Read your funder requirements carefully and address everything they ask you to. Then follow your plan.

File Organization

Have a consistent system and make sure everyone knows it. Don't use spaces or special characters in file names.

Using Spreadsheets

Columns are for variables, rows are for records. Label your columns and use consistent terms between records. Don't use color or leave cells blank. 

Documenting Your Data

Using Codebooks, ReadMe Files, and Data Dictionaries, give at least enough information that future you, a new lab member, or another researcher could make sense of your data. 

Security & Privacy

Password protect and/or encrypt sensitive files. Follow Penn's guidelines for saving sensitive data on PennBox and visit SAS's pages on sensitive data and encryption.

Data Sharing

Share! And share your documentation so the data is useful. Repositories are the most effective way to share. Find an appropriate repository here or ask us!

Storing and Backing Up Data

Follow the 3-2-1 Rule: 3 copies of your data stored on 2 different types of media with 1 copy in an offsite location. (0 of these copies should be on a flash drive; flash drives are easily lost) Want to know more? Watch one of these videos from Explaining Computers or University of Wisconsin Milwaukee's Data Librarian

Archiving data for the long haul

Use sustainable file formats whenever possible and migrate your data to new media every 3-5 years.