As part of our work to facilitate enhanced tracking and reusability of data through the research lifecycle, we have partnered with DMPTool, a free, open source tool used to create data management plans that meet institutional and funder requirements.  Together we have developed a prototype integration that enables tri-directional data flows between RSpace, DMPTool, and data repositories, facilitating higher quality and more comprehensive research data capture and tracking, and support for FAIR principles.

The lack of interoperability between tools is arguably the most significant barrier to streamlining workflows throughout the research lifecycle. This gap prevents the comprehensive collection and incorporation of research data and metadata into the research record captured during the active research phase. Furthermore, it limits the scope for passing this data and metadata on to data repositories, thus undermining FAIR data principles and reproducibility. Bridging this gap is precisely what the integration seeks to address.

Researchers are now able to reference and update their DMPs from within RSpace. The aims of this feature are:

1. To add value to DMPs to link to datasets generated throughout a study and become ‘living documents.’
2. Reduce the burden on researchers in keeping their DMPs up to date.
3. Append DOIs and links to datasets exported from RSpace to a repository to be associated with a DMP.

To see this workflow in action, check out this short demo from FORCE 2021, where Julie Goldman from the Harvard Medical School explains how the DMPTool – RSpace – Dataverse workflow enhances research data capture in the Harvard environment. The user documentation also contains a walk-through of the feature with instructions.

Additionally, an upcoming FORCE11 Community Call on January 25, 2022, will showcase this and other integrations and demonstrate ways in which data capture and reproducibility are enhanced by tool interoperability.  

Please reach out to info@researchspace.com with any comments, suggestions, or ideas for future integrations!