Data Management Plan Checklist

USGS Data Management Plan Checklist

Effective October 1, 2016 all new USGS projects must include a Data Management Plan (DMP) (refer to SM 502.6) as part of the Project Work Plan (refer to SM 502.2) which is approved by the Science Center Director. This checklist provides guidance in what you must consider in developing for a DMP at the onset of a project to satisfy USGS Fundamental Science Practices.

Note: Items shaded in gray (or with an asterisk at the beginning) may be more accurately described as the project evolves.


Plan

Provide the basic identification information for your project. (e.g., project title, any project tracking numbers, point of contact)
Provide the time frame of the project and data collection activities (e.g., start and end dates for project and data collection periods).
Provide contact information for staff and partners involved in the project.
Identify who, the USGS, a partner, or a cooperator, has the overall data management responsibility for project-related data acquisition, processing, quality control, documentation, and preservation.
* Provide your estimated budget for data management activities.
* If applicable, identify the data sharing agreement, Memorandum of Understanding, or Memorandum of Agreement that defines roles and responsibilities for data collection and/or sharing.
 

Acquire

Provide the basic identification information for each dataset (e.g., title, description, source, point of contact).
Describe the purpose of each dataset in context of the project.
Identify any inherent restrictions on use of any dataset.
* Identify the format of each dataset.
* Identify storage requirements for each dataset.


Process and Analyze

* Capture the data transformations, synthesis actions, or other processing steps to produce the datasets. If possible, use workflow software such as VisTrails or others.
* Describe technologies, capabilities, or models that will be used for data processing.
* For models, software, and code, list data inputs, and data outputs and calibration details.


Preserve

Document who has the responsibility for ensuring that data preservation is provided for all approved data releases.
* State what open data formats you plan to use when submitting your data for preservation.
* Include the estimated storage volume of the approved data releases.
* Identify where your approved data releases will be stored for long term preservation. State which trusted digital repository you plan to use. List any other websites that will provide the approved data, software, model, or code.

 

Publish/ Share

Provide the preliminary identification information for the anticipated project publication(s) (e.g., title, description, list of authors).

Describe the anticipated format of each publication (e.g., publication series, data type, or model).
State how you plan to maintain and update detailed metadata records in FGDC or ISO XML standard formats with dataset(s).
Describe how (e.g., tool, responsible person) the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number will be assigned to each approved data release
Describe any inherent restrictions that will have to be imposed on the derived product based on use of proprietary data inputs or other factors.
 

Describe/ Metadata

* Describe the tools or process that will be used to create metadata.
* Identify the person responsible for creating metadata files.

 

Manage Quality

* Document project team roles and operational procedures. Reference Science Center policy or other standard operating procedures if applicable.


Backup and Secure

* Identify location of internal storage resources that provide replication and backup capability, and will be used to store acquired data during processing and analysis.
* Identify the contact person for the storage resource that will be used.
* If known, describe the records disposition schedule for the data.