New online tool for data management planning in Citizen Science

‘Bürgerforschungsdaten planen’ is a project of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and the German Aerospace Centre. The tool is now available at buergerforschungsdaten-planen.de and offers practical assistance in the form of guidelines, templates and checklists.

Central aspects of data organisation are addressed as part of the planning process. These include the documentation, storage and archiving of research data as well as legal framework conditions such as data protection, copyright and licences. The tool guides users step-by-step through the individual planning steps, reducing uncertainty when developing a comprehensive data management concept. The aim is to promote a structured and transparent approach that contributes to quality assurance and reusability of data in the long term.

The service is aimed at all citizen science stakeholders - from individuals to larger research projects. By using the tool, it is possible to clearly define data-related processes and reduce administrative effort. The web-based application is accessible free of charge and thus enables broad use in the German-speaking citizen science community. 

Further information