Short Answer
A DMP, or data management plan, provides information about technical, organizational, and content-related aspects of data usually derived from a set of structured questions.
Detailed Answer
Data management plans (DMPs) are ideally compiled as part of grant proposal preparation. Your proposal includes most of the information you need to write your DMP. Within the DMP, all questions about data management and its documentation are detailed before the project starts. In this way many problems can be avoided during the project period, and more efficient work is possible. Precise documentation and the establishment of rules regarding data management avoid data loss and make your results reliable and reusable for others. But a DMP is not only created at the beginning of a project, it is a living document, and it is recommended to return to it at every phase of your project to ensure a seamless data documentation and management.
Instructions for writing a DMP can be found here.
If you want to get started with your own DMP right away, and want us to support you, please fill in the GFBio Data Management Plan Tool (DMPT), and get in contact with us.
If you are interested in a DMP best-practice example, have a look at our GFBio model DMP.