01
Where it fits and where it does not
Use these four checks before committing implementation time.
- Use it when
- Planning and maintaining computable data-governance commitments that can move among researchers, funders, repositories, and infrastructure providers.
- Limits
- The 2019 RDA endorsement and the later v1.2 repository release are distinct status claims; the profile does not impose funder rules, prove that declared actions occurred, or replace domain metadata.
- Best for
- Cross-cutting teams working across Plan → Acquire → Harmonize → Exchange → Learn + reuse.
- Maturity
- ScalingUsable now, but adoption or tooling is still developing. Pilot the exact stack first.
02
See it in the workflow
This view shows the input, the change the standard introduces, and the resulting output.
- InputWhat starts
Cross-cutting source data, metadata, and local mappings
- RDA maDMPWhat changes
Use RDA maDMP as a pinned metadata profile across Plan → Acquire → Harmonize → Exchange → Learn + reuse
- OutputWhat becomes possible
A handoff the next system or team can validate against the same release
03
A concrete example
Create a versioned maDMP at project start, assign persistent identifiers, connect each planned dataset to its repository, license, access mode, quality assurance, security, preservation, cost, and responsible contributors, then update it as plans become operational facts.
Why it matters: Makes ownership, access, quality, preservation, and reuse planning inspectable by tools and agents, while scientific validity and accountable approval remain external.
04
What it fits with
Reuses DCAT concepts for datasets and distributions, aligns identifiers with DataCite, and can name repository certification, metadata standards, licenses, and preservation commitments.
- FrameworkFAIR
Both support Cross-cutting work and meet around Plan, Acquire, Harmonize, Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - FrameworkFAIR DMM
Both support Cross-cutting work and meet around Plan, Acquire, Harmonize, Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - Metadata vocabularyDPV
Both support Cross-cutting work and meet around Plan, Acquire, Harmonize, Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship - StandardISO/IEC 5259
Both support Cross-cutting work and meet around Plan, Acquire, Harmonize, Exchange, Learn + reuse. Compare their roles before treating them as interchangeable.
Explore relationship
05
Implementation starter
Start with one bounded handoff. Pin, test, and review it before scaling.
Define one handoff, its accountable owner, and the decision RDA maDMP must support.
Pin the exact version and companion artifacts: RDA Recommendation · 2019; repository release v1.2.
Map one representative input to the required metadata profile artifacts.
Test the result against the canonical source and record every exception.
Preserve the source data, mappings, and review evidence before scaling.
06
Test the main limitation
The 2019 RDA endorsement and the later v1.2 repository release are distinct status claims; the profile does not impose funder rules, prove that declared actions occurred, or replace domain metadata.
Run one representative end-to-end pilot and record exactly where RDA maDMP loses context, needs an extension, or depends on another standard.
Machine-readable output may still be unfit for analysis or ML.
Test the output for missing context, provenance, terminology alignment, time leakage, and the intended downstream decision. Makes ownership, access, quality, preservation, and reuse planning inspectable by tools and agents, while scientific validity and accountable approval remain external.
07
Official resources
Specifications, diagrams, examples, and guides from the organizations that maintain them.
RDA DMP Common Standard v1.2 release
Official publisher or steward guidance for this metadata profile profile.
- Publisher
- Research Data Alliance DMP Common Standards Working Group