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Research Data Management Services at OCAD University

This guide will provide information on research data management (RDM) including policy, planning, security, description, and sharing based on best practices.

Data Management Planning

Effective RDM begins with a plan, a formal statement describing how research data will be managed and documented throughout a project. While considered good practice in general, many researchers develop data management plans (DMP) because their funders require one. We recommend Portage's DMP Assistant, an open and national planning tool developed by Portage, a project of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL). The DMP Assistant provides a checklist of questions to guide researchers through their plan and is designed to respond to funder requirements. 

For questions about data storage options on campus contact Mike Steventon, Manager, Research Technology. It is also important to be mindful of ethical obligations related to data contained in your application to the Research Ethics Board. Portage has developed Sensitive Data Tools to assist researchers with data privacy and security concerns. For questions regarding data and research ethics, contact research@ocadu.ca.

Tri-Agency Funder requirements

After considerable consultation and review, the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC) released the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy earlier this year. The policy asks institutions that dispense Tri-Agency funds to develop an institutional strategy. This strategy will do the following: 

  • Acknowledge the importance of data as an output 
  • Support researchers in ethical, legal, commercial an policy-based obligations and requirements
  • Promote the importance of data management
  • Guide researchers in best practices in RDM including plans

Section 3.2 of the Tri-Agency policy states that some grant recipients will be required to develop data management plans and that research involving Indigenous communities, data management plans must be developed in partnership with those communities.