Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans Ronald Weaver National Snow and Ice Data Center W. Christopher Lenhardt Renaissance Computing Institute – UNC Version 1.0 March 2013 The Case for Data Stewardship Copyright 2013 Ronald Weaver & W. Christopher Lenhardt

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 Overview Why Do We Need a Data Management Plan? What are NASA Data Management Plans (DMPs) References Resources

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 Why are DMPs needed? Legal, federal and agency requirements Ethical obligations Scientific reproducibility Common sense

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 High-level requirements and policies provide background and context for DMPs In addition to Federal-level requirements, NASA and other agencies have their own requirements and directives that augment higher level mandates and provide specific guidance in meeting them NASA Centers, grantees and contractors receiving NASA funding must manage environmental data in compliance with these requirements and directives NASA Earth Science data management practices are generally spelled out in grant and contract documents It may make you cry, but rules are rules…

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 NASA data policy forms basis for a data management plan NASA policy is very clear: “NASA commits to the full and open sharing of Earth science data obtained from NASA Earth observing satellites, sub-orbital platforms and field campaigns with all users as soon as such data become available”* “There will be no period of exclusive access to NASA Earth science data. Following a post-launch checkout period, all data will be made available to the user community”* *

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 DMPs for ethical considerations In addition to the legal, regulatory, and agency-level requirements there is, arguably, an ethical obligation on the part of the researcher to make data created, often at taxpayer expense, available to all in an understandable and usable way, if not in the short term then certainly in the longer term. Federally-funded science data creation is an investment that can only be fully realized if the data are created, managed, and made available according to recognized data management best practices. No manure here…

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 DMPs for scientific reproducibility If data created as part of the scientific process are not managed in a responsible way, according to state-of-the-art best practices, the scientific validity of the data will be undermined. Good data management practices help to ensure the long term integrity, authenticity, and availability of the data. Scientific Reproducibility

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 DMPs and common sense If the data are managed effectively according to a pre- thought out plan, the creators, i.e., you the scientist, are more likely to get recognition through citations and related use. DMPs are necessary to develop before gathering data because it often costs more to do effective data management as a afterthought. Data management and good science go hand-in-hand.

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 NASA data management plans (DMPs) NASA typically requires a data management plan for satellite, airborne, and field projects. In the Earth sciences specific requirements for data management plans are described in funding documents such as the annual Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) multifaceted research proposal call. Proposers to NASA ROSES should pay particular attention to language in the specific funding announcement of interest

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 Suggested topical outline from NASA’s DMP Guidelines 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Project Overview 2.1 Project Objectives 2.2 Science Objectives 2.3 Mission Summary 2.4 Instrument Overview 3.0 Project Data Flow 3.1 Mission Operations 3.2 Science Operations Science Control Science Planning and Scheduling Science Dataset Generation Project Data Storage and Distribution 3.3 Post-Mission Stewardship and Access Transition to Science Data Center(s) Directories and Catalogs Standards and Policies Networking Requirements 4.0 Products 4.1 Science Data Product Summary Instrument "A" 4.2 Associated Archive Products Source: "Guidelines for Development of a Data Management Plan, Earth Science Division, NASA Science Mission Directorate", January 2011.

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 Guidance on NASA DMPs (1 of 2) NASA Earth Science website offers specific guidance on content for a Data Management Plan management-plan-guidance/ management-plan-guidance/

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 Guidance on NASA DMPs (2 of 2) NASA Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) has established a process for managing flight (space, airborne) projects. The specific document that describes data management plan requirements in the above process is called the Archiving, Distribution and User Services Requirements in EOSDIS* (ADURD) tionRequirements.dochttp://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/additional/scienceTeam/documents/Evolu tionRequirements.doc *Earth Observing System Data and Information System

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 Resources Several websites offer links to more general data management plan development. We suggest starting with the following: ESIP Federation Data Management Modules (Complements to this module) Digital Curation Centre Plans (Useful checklist for developing a data management plan) University of California Curation Center (Data Planning Checklist) Data Management and Publishing (MIT) Data Management and Publishing (Univ of Minnesota) National Science Foundation (NSF) – See, in particular the FAQhttp://

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 References NASA references: Official websites for information on data management in the Earth Sciences management-plan-guidance/ management-plan-guidance/ information-policy/ information-policy/ The following link is link to the ADURD document onRequirements.dochttp://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/additional/scienceTeam/documents/Evoluti onRequirements.doc

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 Other Relevant Modules Data Management Plans – Elements of a Data Management Plan section Modules within this section will give you more specific information about how to create a DMP Local Data Management – Advertising Your Data: Agency Requirements for Submitting Metadata Learn more about how to fulfill more specific federal agency requirements and recommendations for submitting metadata within your data management plans

The Case for Data Stewardship – Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans; Version 1.0, March 2013 Recommended Citations Weaver, R. and W.C. Lenhardt, “The Case for Data Stewardship - Agency Requirements: NASA Data Management Plans.” In Data Management for Scientists Short Course, edited by Ruth Duerr and Nancy J. Hoebelheinrich, Federation of Earth Science Information Partners: ESIP Commons. doi: /P3CZ353P Copyright 2013 Ronald Weaver & W. Christopher Lenhardt