To cost research data management in advance of research
starting, e.g. for inclusion in a data management plan or in
preparation for a funding application, two approaches can
be taken.
• Either all data-related activities and resources for the
entire data cycle – from data creation, through
processing, analyses and storage to sharing and
preservation – can be priced, to calculate the total cost
of data generation, data sharing and preservation.
• Or one can cost the additional expenses – above
standard research procedures and practices – that are
needed to make research data shareable beyond the
primary research team. This can be calculated by first
listing all data management activities and steps required
to make data shareable (e.g. based on a data
management checklist), then pricing each activity in
terms of people’s time or physical resources needed
such as hardware or software.
The UK Data Archive has developed a simple tool that can
be used for the latter option of costing data