Planning early, following through: Data Management Planning in the EOSC

Background
The Open Science paradigm strongly contributes towards lifting the barriers that restrict access and re-use of research data. Aligned with the paradigm, funders and agencies, at European and national level, increasingly promote the adoption of strategies of FAIR and open research data. Such strategies, covering all datasets utilised or generated in the course of a research project, are embodied in the Data Management Plan (DMP).

Why are DMPs important ?
 Data Management Plans are important for individual researchers, community or institutional data managers and fundholders. Most H2020 proposals now require a DMP as specified in Article 29.3 of the Grant Agreement, and many countries also require this for nationally funded research. The aim of a DMP is to: - engage researchers to plan sustainable, result-oriented and cost-effective research strategies during and beyond the project lifetime, - enable research communities to discover and utilise invaluable, trustworthy data and, - allow funders assess their strategy and actions in a multitude of directions. When applicable, open access to the data, complemented with effective citation mechanism, guarantees visibility of the scientific results, for the benefit of the researcher, of the scientific community and of the society in its whole.