Road to a Chemistry-Specific Data Management Plan

Abstract

In order to develop a discipline-specific data management plan (DMP) template, it is important to obtain information from researchers. For a chemistry-specific template, NFDI4Chem conducted a series of interviews with 27 participants and used data from the RDA WG Discipline-specific Guidance for DMP online survey. The interviews showed that the implementation of research data management in everyday work is a big challenge. Key findings from the interview series highlight challenges in implementing FAIR principles, with a focus on “Findability” and “Reusability.” The importance of linking physical samples and data in chemistry is emphasised, with discussions on storage, archiving, and the use of tools like electronic lab notebooks and repositories. However, documentation methods, software tools, and naming conventions commonly used in chemical research are also addressed. Overall, the study underscores the need for improved resources and strategies to enhance data management practices in the field of chemistry. All the gathered information and examples will be used to develop a DMP template in line with chemistry-specific requirements. The results provide a comprehensive outlook on the future developments of research data management (RDM) in chemistry.

Keywords

• chemistry
• research data management
• data management plan
• dmp
• nfdi4chem
• discipline-specific
• interview