Data Management Plan: Bureaucratic Burden or the First Real Step Towards Open Science?

For many researchers, the so-called Data Management Plan (DMP) is just another bureaucratic burden distracting them from actual research. However, it can play a crucial role in enhancing transparency, replicability, and efficiency in scientific work. How does the academic community view it? What challenges and opportunities does its implementation bring? And how can university libraries support researchers? We discussed these questions, among others, with experts from the Centre of Information and Library Services (CIKS) at the Prague University of Economics and Business (VŠE), and with Martin Lukeš, Vice-Rector for Research and Science at VŠE.

Researchers remain skeptical about Data Management Plans

In recent years, Data Management Plans have become one of the most discussed topics within open science. Since 2022, changes in Czech legislation have mandated the management and sharing of research data as a compulsory element of research projects funded by targeted grants. Creating a DMP, which sets out rules for handling data throughout the research process, is the first step in fulfilling this requirement.

“Many researchers perceive the creation of a DMP as a time-consuming and unnecessary formality with no significant benefit. However, it’s important to emphasize that DMPs have real value and can genuinely assist researchers. They systematically plan how data will be collected, processed, stored, and shared, which is critical for transparency and reproducibility of research. Moreover, a well-prepared DMP can facilitate collaboration among researchers and ensure that data remains accessible for future research and analysis,” explains Tereza Ircingová from CIKS VŠE.

Data Management Plans help address replicability in research

The primary purpose of DMPs is to encourage the scientific community to handle research data in ways that enable verification and allow other researchers to build upon existing findings. Yet, this often conflicts with reluctance to share methodologies and fears about losing competitive advantage. Nonetheless, adopting DMPs represents a step towards viewing data as an equally significant output of scientific work, comparable to traditional publications.

“For many fields that have not traditionally shared or reported research data, this represents a fundamental shift in how science is perceived. Previously, publications were the main output of research. Mandatory DMP requirements highlight an ongoing issue in science—the reproducibility crisis,” points out Martin Lukeš, Vice-Rector for Research and Science at VŠE.

The ambition of Data Management Plans and the open science approach is to accelerate and enhance the continuity of scientific results across research institutions globally. However, the current research evaluation system, focused solely on publication outputs, remains a significant barrier. “Apart from legislative obligations, researchers currently receive no additional credit or recognition for data management and sharing. Understandably, this leads to concerns about losing know-how and a perceived lack of motivation to deeply engage in research data management,” adds Lukeš.

University libraries stepping into the Data Management Plan arena

At the Prague University of Economics and Business, many researchers first encountered Data Management Plans due to requirements from national funding bodies such as GA ČR and TA ČR to include them in interim project reports. In response, CIKS, in collaboration with the Department of Science and Research, organized webinars to inform project leaders about new open science obligations and explained the significance of DMPs. These webinars were complemented by individual consultations, which several researchers utilized. “We hope at least some researchers were convinced that DMPs are not merely bureaucratic but genuinely beneficial to their research,” describes Tereza Ircingová.

CIKS VŠE also participated in creating a DMP for the European RIS4SEB project, gaining valuable experience. “It turned out that preparing a DMP could indeed be quite time-consuming, and, for example, the Horizon Europe template is not particularly user-friendly. Thus, it’s essential to assist researchers in navigating new topics, terms, and processes for effective data management,” notes Barbora Pincová from CIKS VŠE.

“Another critical issue currently emerging in the context of open science involves the storage capacities for data repositories and discerning which data are worth preserving. Additionally, there is a growing need for professional data stewards and their availability on the labor market. Frequently, doctoral students are tasked with managing project data, which is not ideal either from the standpoint of their research potential or their readiness for the role. While we actively educate researchers and doctoral students in open science, the institutional development of qualified data stewards is essential. Specialized study programs and clearly defined roles for data stewards within universities are needed,” explains Václav Šubrta, Director of CIKS VŠE.

What challenges lie ahead for open science?

While it might appear that open science currently focuses solely on Data Management Plans, the concept encompasses a broader set of principles and practices aiming to open science to wider society. Apart from managing research data, this includes open access to publications. Yet, despite nearly two decades of development, academia remains dependent on dominant publishers. Alternative open access models, such as repository-based publishing, community-driven open access journals, or initiatives like “Subscribe to Open,” have yet to gain sufficient support.

Open science also includes other emerging practices such as citizen science, research preregistration, open lab notebooks, and open peer review. “Opinions about the advantages and disadvantages of open science vary widely, and no single perspective dominates. However, it’s clear that this development is inevitable, especially given that funding bodies—particularly the European Union—are increasingly mandating open science practices,” summarizes Václav Šubrta from CIKS VŠE.