The Data Management Planning for ESRC Research Data-rich Investments project (DMP-ESRC) is funded under the JISC Managing Research Data programme. It aims to increase the data management and sharing capability within the social sciences community.

The project is helping develop and implement effective data management planning in the research lifecycle and increase individual and institutional data managing and sharing capacity by providing best practice guidance, support and training.

The UK Data Archive is working closely with the following ESRC research centres and programmes:

• New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA)
• Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change (CRESC)
• Centre for Social and Economic Research on Innovation in Genomics (Innogen)
• Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC)

Their existing data management practices are being assessed , and the team are helping to develop and implement effective data management planning, procedures and tools, and expand individual and institutional support and training.  Examples of existing effective data management practices and expertise from the UK Data Archive are being used to develop advice to enhance data quality and its potential for sharing.

The long-term aim of this project is to engage with challenging and sensitive aspects of archiving and sharing. This embraces: informed consent; confidentiality; the ethics of sharing; copyright; the implications of using secondary data; enhancing data; preservation formats; storage; security; and back-up.

Ultimately, not only will debate and co-ordinating strategies on these issues improve the quality of data, they will also improve research training in the UK.

The Data Management Planning for ESRC Research Data Rich Investments project is based at the UK Data Archive at the University of Essex