5.2 Data management plan and processing
Data means the empirical data that you collect or utilise in your thesis. The results and insights of your thesis are based on this data. Before you can start collecting data, you need to have a well-made research plan and, in many cases, a well-developed knowledge base. The data management plan is an appendix to the thesis plan. Make a data management plan so that you have an idea of what kind of data you collect and how you will take care of security and backup, for example. Data can be collected through interviews or surveys, for example. Literature is not data, so if your thesis is a (descriptive, integrative or systematic) literature review, you do not need a data management plan.
You will also need a data management plan to apply for a research permit or an ethical review statement. In these cases, you can only collect data once you have received permission.
So proceed in the following order:
- Create a thesis plan, attached by a data management plan. If the thesis is a literature review, you don’t need a data management plan.
- Apply the research permit, when necessary. Attach the data management plan and a possible research plan.
- Begin to collect data.
- Store the data appropriately (according to your plan) during the thesis process.
- Archive, open or dispose the data (according to your plan) when the thesis is completed.
The data management plan is part of the thesis plan
The purpose of the data management plan is to ensure that the thesis follows good scientific practice. It also aims to ensure that the research material is not compromised at any stage. In the data management plan, you will describe what data you will collect, how you will store and share it, any legal (e.g. data protection) or contractual issues, and what will happen to the data when the thesis is completed.
The data management plan will complement the thesis plan, so avoid unnecessary duplication: include the data management plan as an annex to your thesis plan.
Creating data management plan
Create the data management plan using either the Word template at the bottom of this page or with the DPM Tuuli data management planning tool. They both contain instructions. Find the link to DMP Tuuli from the links-list.
Login to the DMP Tuuli tool with your Jamk credentials. The first time, the ID must be registered, and Jamk University of Applied Sciences must be selected as the organization. In the future, the user can log in directly through Haka under Sign in with your institutional credentials. This is how you find the Jamk’s template: select Create a new plan, write Jamk University of Applied Sciences as a research organization, check the box No funder associated, and finally select the template of Jamk. The plan created in the program can be shared in different file formats and shared with other users, for example to the thesis tutor or another thesis author.
Indicators and research data
At this stage, you will compile an indicator suitable for collecting data, i.e. a tool by which you can collect data for your thesis. The results of your work are based on your analysis of the data. You are also expected to be able to describe the implementation stage of your research, so you should keep notes of everything.
Research data can be in the form of text, image, video or sound:
- Primary data includes data acquired through surveys, interviews, workshops or measurement and observation, for example.
- Secondary data includes pre-existing data, such as biographies, diaries, official statistics, registries, databases, archives, data produces by the commissioner, etc. If you use secondary data, be sure to also take any applicable copyrights into account.
Storage, archiving and destroying of data
Storage and transmission of data during the thesis project
Plan where you will store your thesis data, how will you manage its user rights, and what you will do with the data after the thesis has been completed. Store the data carefully and securely, taking into account any agreements made with the commissioner. The methods and access rights used may vary depending on the type of study and the stage of the thesis.
Describe and justify your selected solutions and tools in the data management plan.
Tools for data collection, transfer and storage
Log in to the services using specifically the Jamk account (see Links below). This gives you more storage space and functionality, and Jamk’s data is contractually protected. The partnership agreement between various universities allows for higher quality and, above all, more secure storage space for files in the cloud compared to private user accounts. However, the services are not suitable for confidential, sensitive information, but you can store personal data there. The mobile user should take care of the security of their phone.
- In OneDrive, files can be accessed from different devices anytime, anywhere. Files can be edited simultaneously. OneDrive is personal and will be removed if the user leaves Jamk. That is also when the data will also be removed from the service!
- Teams is the most versatile service for working together. In addition to workers and students, people outside Jamk can also be involved. Teams will remain at the disposal of the organisation if they leave Jamk. In such case, a new administrator must be assigned to the team (either the outgoing administrator configures or this is requested from the Jamk HelpDesk).
- OneDrive and Teams are backed up. Only files are backed up from Teams, not conversations.
FileSender is a file transfer service that you can use with Jamk’s user ID through HAKA login (see Links below). The service is suitable for sending large files securely instead of email attachment (up to 50 GB). You can specify how long you share the file and when the file transfer expires and can no longer be downloaded. All transactions will be notified to the distributor. The service is provided by CSC and the servers are located in Finland. The service is not suitable for the transmission of sensitive information.
Jamk uses the Webropol survey system for personnel and students (see Links ). You can give access to your survey to Jamk students or personnel. Webropol ensures that personal data related to surveys is retained within the EU. It complies with high security standards and all its servers are located in Finland. So, if you do surveys, always use Webropol and not other survey tools (unless agreed separately with the commissioner/client) .
When using Webropol, take into account the requirements for the processing and storage of personal data in the survey system. The same principles apply to other survey systems. The system is not a permanent storage for the data.
Jamk offers students various ICT systems and software as well as home use licences (see Links).
Consider whether the chosen method is suitable and reliable for storing the data and discuss the solution with your thesis supervisor or commissioner. The storage solutions provided by the commissioner must also ensure that the data security and data protection are taken into account. Memory sticks and external hard drives are not a secure way of storing or transmitting data. The computer desktop is not a secure storage method.
Destroying or archiving data after thesis completion
As a rule, the data of a thesis does not need to be saved permanently. Jamk is not responsible for storing the data of the theses.
Please remember to inform the research subjects about the archiving, re-opening or disposal of the data and to agree on this with the potential commissioner.
Destroying data
Sensitive data (non-public information from companies, personal data) has to be deleted securely so that the data cannot be restored. Files which have been saved to OneDrive or Teams with the Jamk account can be deleted normally. If you have sensitive data on your personal computer, simple deleting is not enough. You need to use special program to overwrite the part of the hard drive, where the data is located (for example Eraser, see links). Certain data, e.g. memory sticks, are discarded by crushing, or in case of paper data, by shredding.
Archiving data
- Archiving the data for yourself: If you justifiably store the thesis data after the thesis has been completed, it must be stored securely and in such a way that the data can be used later. Information that enables identification must be permanently removed from the data (anonymisation).
- Agreed with the commissioner: Agree with the commissioner on a secure method of storing the data that is kept unchanged if there is a justified reason for this, for example, due to further use. Information that enables identification must be permanently removed from the data (anonymisation). If the commissioner is a university of applied sciences or other Finnish research organisation, the data storage services available to them may be used for storage. Check with your commissioner about the options offered by the organisation.
- Archiving to a data archive and opening of the data and its descriptive data: High-quality data can be stored in a data archive, from where others can download it for further use openly/in a limited manner. The data must be anonymous. The data is stored in a reliable location and its descriptive information (metadata) and access rights (open/restricted) are published. After that, the data, metadata and its authors can be found through search services (Research.fi). You can offer the data to the Finnish Social Science Data Archive (FSD) or you can save and describe it yourself through various services (IDA, Zenodo). The options and prerequisites for archiving and opening should be examined in advance, for example through the organisation’s support services. Support services for Jamk students and personnel are available at att(a)jamk.fi.
Remember that the respondents must always be informed of how the data is stored when the data is collected.
If you want to make the data or other outputs, outcomes or results reusable, see the links for the license instructions (University of Helsinki). Keep in mind copyright issues.
Template for data management plan
Data management plan template for thesis (DOCX)
Updated 29.4.2025