Good data management is vital! Everyone says so, but why? Because well-managed data can be retrieved and reused by the scientific community. Because good data management is beneficial for scientists themselves and for their institution. And finally, because it is compulsory in some cases, especially for EU-funded projects.
The FAIR principles: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable
One of the aims of data management is to facilitate the discovery and reuse of academic knowledge by both individuals and computer systems. The FAIR principles serve as a guideline to help achieve this objective. The four FAIR principles are as follows:
Advantages for scientists and the institution
A policy of the Institut Pasteur
This Policy sets out the Institut Pasteur's guidelines on the management and sharing of research data and software code. It aims to facilitate the sharing and reuse of data and software code according to the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles.
It summarises the best practices to be implemented throughout the research process and refers to fact sheets that give scientists the operational resources they need to implement these best practices.
This Policy was developed as part of a collaborative, transversal project led by the CeRIS and the Data Management Core Facility.
Contact: rdm-policy@pasteur.fr
A requirement for funding bodies
French National Research Agency (ANR)
Since 2019, the ANR has implemented Open Science requirements. These obligations are part of the French national strategy for Open Science, initiated with the National Plan for Open Science in 2018. The ANR draws coordinators’ attention to the importance of considering data management and sharing at the project development phase, following the principle “as open as possible, as closed as necessary”. The ANR requires all projects funded in 2019 onwards to produce a Data Management Plan (DMP).
The European Commission
Since January 1, 2017, all grant beneficiaries of European Commission calls are encouraged to take measures concerning the data needed to validate the results presented in publications:
In the H2020 program, it was possible to avoid complying with these obligations (via an opt-out) without this having a negative impact on the evaluation of the project.
In the Horizon Europe program (which covers the period from 2021 to 2027), drawing up a data management plan become compulsorys for all European projects. In addition, it is is possible that effective evidence of data dissemination will be progressively requested.
For more information, consult the following European Commission documents:
For more information on funder's requirements, consult the CeRIS fact sheet