Concerns about the quality of research data are among the most common criticisms of citizen science. It is therefore extremely important to address this criticism with effective and transparent research data management. A data management plan is a simple and effective tool that helps define and document the procedures for creating, processing, storing, and publishing research data. It is thus an important step toward good research data management in citizen science projects. In practice, however, there are often challenges in creating a data management plan.
The goal of the project was therefore to support project leaders in planning and documenting their research data management. Through an online survey and a stakeholder workshop, the needs and requirements for a tool to create data management plans were identified and subsequently implemented in the form of a web-based tool. The questionnaire was developed based on the Horizon Europe data management plan (the European Union’s research framework program) and adapted for citizen science projects in German-speaking countries. The tool is supplemented by resources such as a tutorial, a glossary, and a guide, which make it easier to get started with research data management.
Project results
- Tool for creating data management plans in citizen science projects: Citizen Science Data Planning
- Accompanying guide: Data management plans in citizen science projects – Accompanying guide to the ‘Citizen Science Data Planning’ tool
Project partners:
- German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Institute of Data Science
- In cooperation with mit:forschen!
Former project members: Maraike Willsch, Clara Kreuzberg
The project is funded by the BMBF (now BMFTR)