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Introduction

OpenCDMP is built around four main entities that work together to provide a structured and flexible approach to managing Output Management Plans (OMPs) such as Data Management Plans (DMPs) and Software Management Plans (SMPs).

How it all fits together​

Before diving into each concept, here is the relationship between them:

  1. An administrator creates Description Templates — each one defines a set of questions (fields) for a specific type of output, such as a dataset or software component.
  2. An administrator creates a Blueprint — it defines the sections a Plan will have, and specifies which Description Templates can be used in each section.
  3. You create a Plan using a Blueprint — the Plan inherits the section structure defined by that Blueprint.
  4. Within each section of the Plan, you add Descriptions — each Description follows the structure of the selected Description Template and contains the actual answers/content for that output.

In short: Blueprint → Plan structure. Description Template → Description content.

Prerequisites for end users

Before you can create a Plan, an administrator must have configured at least one Blueprint and at least one Description Template. If no blueprints appear when you try to create a plan, contact your OpenCDMP administrator.

Core Concepts​

1. Blueprints​

A Blueprint defines the overall structure of a Plan by specifying its Sections and the content within each section.

  • Each Blueprint is divided into one or more Sections, which can include fields describing the plan as a whole (title, contacts, funders, etc.) and slots for Descriptions.
  • At least one section must allow Descriptions to be added.
  • Blueprints are created and managed by administrators. As an end user, you select a Blueprint when creating a new Plan — you cannot modify the Blueprint itself.

👉 See Blueprints for more detail.

2. Plans​

A Plan is the primary entity and main output of the OpenCDMP platform — it represents a complete OMP for a research project or output.

  • Structured by a Blueprint: when you create a Plan, you choose a Blueprint, and the Plan inherits its sections and structure.
  • Contains Descriptions: within the Plan's sections, you add Descriptions that detail specific inputs or outputs (datasets, software, publications, etc.).
  • Collaborative: invite users with different roles — Viewer, Contributor, Reviewer — at the Plan level or at individual Section level.
  • Versioned: create new versions of a Plan to track changes over time while preserving history.
  • Exportable and depositable: export in DOCX, PDF, RDA JSON, and more; deposit to repositories (Zenodo, Dataverse, etc.) to obtain a DOI.

👉 See Plans for the full guide.

3. Description Templates​

A Description Template defines the structure of a Description — the set of questions and fields a user must fill in for a specific type of output.

  • Contains sections and question definitions with various input types:
    • Text, rich text, date, boolean (yes/no)
    • Select, radio, checkbox (predefined options)
    • File upload
    • External references (linked to external data sources via API)
  • A Blueprint references which Description Templates are available in each of its sections.
  • Description Templates are created and managed by administrators.

👉 See Templates for more detail.

4. Descriptions​

A Description is a detailed entry within a Plan that captures information about a specific research input or output — for example, a dataset, a piece of software, or a publication.

  • Each Description is based on a Description Template, which determines what questions appear.
  • Descriptions are added inside the sections of a Plan, as defined by the Blueprint.
  • A Plan typically contains multiple Descriptions — one per output type or research asset.
  • Descriptions can be exported, reviewed, and annotated independently.

👉 See Descriptions for the full guide.

5. References​

References are structured pieces of information that can be linked to a Plan or a Description — for example, a funder, a grant, a researcher (with ORCID), an organization, or a license.

  • Internal references: already available in the system for selection.
  • External references: fetched from external APIs (e.g., grant databases, researcher registries).
  • Users can also add custom references manually.

Typical workflow​

  1. Log in to your OpenCDMP instance.
  2. Create a new Plan — choose a Blueprint that matches your project type.
  3. Fill in Plan-level details — title, language, contacts, funding information (as defined by the Blueprint sections).
  4. Add Descriptions — for each research output (dataset, software, etc.), add a Description using the appropriate Description Template and answer its questions.
  5. Invite collaborators — assign roles to team members at the Plan or Section level.
  6. Review and finalize — check completion, run evaluators if configured, change the plan status.
  7. Export or deposit — download in your required format or deposit to a repository to obtain a DOI.

👉 Follow the full step-by-step in the Getting Started Tutorial.