Upscale Academy – Making sense of data: A practical workshop on Data Management Plan (DMP)
February 26, 2026, Online | Led by Fabien Borget & Aline Baas, Aix-Marseille University
What exactly is research data, and why does it need a management plan? This hands-on workshop was designed to demystify Data Management Plan (DMPs) for citizen science project teams. Moving beyond the perception of DMP as mere administrative paperwork, the session focused on their practical value: saving time, protecting sensitive data, and maximizing research impact. Through interactive exercises on Miro, participants explored what counts as data, learned to distinguish raw data from information and knowledge, and applied core FAIR principles to their own projects. By the end, each team left with a concrete action plan tailored to their specific needs, directly supporting the FLOURISH goals of preparing citizen science initiatives for responsible upscaling and transnational collaboration. The workshop took place online on February 26, 2026, was led by Fabien Borget and Aline Baas from Aix-Marseille University, and brought together all five participating citizen science sub-projects: CoRE-ACTS, Acqua Sorgente, Blue-Green Tops, Future is Climate, and Energy Poverty.
Key Topics
The session explored several core aspects of research data management, starting with a broader understanding of what research data actually is. Rather than being limited to final Excel files, research data was presented as a much wider ecosystem that can include protocols, laboratory notebooks, code, and metadata. Participants were also introduced to the full data journey, highlighting how raw data is transformed into contextualised information and, ultimately, into actionable knowledge. A key focus was placed on the practical application of the FAIR principles, helping participants understand how to make data more Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. The discussion also clarified the distinction between archives and repositories, explaining where to deposit publications, such as HAL or arXiv, versus where to deposit datasets, such as Zenodo or Recherche Data Gouv. Finally, the session encouraged self-assessment and reflection for action, guiding participants through nine essential Data Management Plan questions in order to identify the strengths, gaps, and priorities of each project.
Highlights & Insights from Workshop
The session’s most valuable moments came from the honest self-assessment exercise. Teams worked through nine practical questions about their data—volume, interoperability, ownership, access, personal data, file naming, and metadata. The distinction between publication archives and data repositories also sparked useful exchanges.
A key insight that emerged collectively was that “FAIR is for you first“—well-managed data saves time during the project, not just after. The Miro board became a rich collaborative space where teams could see each other’s thinking and borrow ideas across projects. Mentors highlighted that upscaling citizen science requires absolute clarity about data flows from the very beginning, especially when working across borders with different legal frameworks.
Tools & Methods
Participants were provided with a set of practical resources to support their data management work. These included the “Data Essentials” Miro board, a collaborative workspace featuring exercises and action plans; a presentation from Aix-Marseille University, which introduced key concepts around data fundamentals and FAIR principles; and a presentation from the University of Madrid, offering a comprehensive guide to Data Management Plans (DMPs) with detailed supporting resources. In addition, project teams received a ready-to-use DMP template to help structure their planning, as well as access to a curated list of trusted certified repositories provided by Recherche Data Gouv, available here: https://recherche.data.gouv.fr/en/repositories.
What’s Next?
Teams will now apply their action plans and work toward completing their first DMP draft by the April 15 deadline. The next Upscale Academy session on the March 23 will focus on Citizen Science Readiness Level (CSRL).
“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”