Data Management Plan Template: Research Data Centres and External Analysis (CRDCN)

The Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN) template summarizes the data management that is conducted by Statistics Canada and the CRDCN on behalf of researchers. While there are some advantages to working inside the RDC for data management, there is also a substantial drawback: RDC data can never be deposited in a repository in accordance with the recommended best practices for research data management. Because of this, researchers should be mindful of other options to engage in best practices. In addition to ensuring that the RDC project folder is well documented, and consistent with the research output, researchers should curate a supporting data deposit at a recognized repository in their discipline or within the Federated Research Data Repository (FRDR) containing metadata, syntax (code that produces a statistical output), and any other supporting material for the research project.

This template is for researchers who are doing RDC work using Statistics Canada data and research data that they have either brought into the RDC “supplemental data” or are analyzing in parallel to their work in the RDC (such as mixed-methods) or public use statistics that compliment the RDC work (hereafter: external data). Researchers should be aware that any data brought into the RDC will be stored alongside the rest of their project material subject to the information management protocols from Statistics Canada. This is a free, relatively straightforward, process and researchers can obtain more information by talking to their RDC analyst.

If your work is being conducted in the RDC using only data provided through the RDC program then the RDC-only template should be completed and not this template.