Data Management
The data management plan for the GULN serves as the overarching strategy to ensure that data collected by the program are subjected to rigorous quality assurance and control procedures and that these data are made available to others for decision making, research, and education. The plan also refers to other guidance documents, standard operating procedures, and detailed monitoring protocols that convey more specific standards and steps for achieving our data management goals for specific vital signs monitoring. The plan acts as a foundation to build upon as new protocols are developed, advances in technology are adopted, and new concepts in data management philosophy are accepted.
The Data Management Plan goals are to ensure that:
- Data managed by the network are of high quality, including designing standardized data entry, importation, and handling procedures which effectively screen for inappropriate data and minimize transcription and translation errors
- Network data can be effectively interpreted, by considering the users� needs as the primary factor driving the design of summary reports and analyses; establishing rigorous data documentation standards; integrating common data tables and fields in NPS or regional standards; and making summary information available in formats tailored to the variety of audiences interested in I&M Program results
- Data are secure for the long term, including instituting standard procedures for versioning, data storage and archiving, natural history archiving, and curation and records management are provided to NPS curators
- Network data are readily available, by implementing standard procedures for distributing data, while protecting sensitive data; and designing a standardized filing system for organizing I&M information