Data management and data sharing, while necessary and desirable, are not cost-free. But how are such costs to be estimated?

The UK Data Archive has developed a costing tool so that expenses can be estimated up front, and decisions made as to how the work can be funded.

Even with a willingness to share, researchers still have to make their data understandable by others - which may involve the creation of additional documentation, or the re-organisation and re-labelling of files. Paper-based data may need to be digitised. Not every item in the costing tool will be applicable to all researchers - the Data Archive manages social science research which involves consent forms, anonymisation and so on - issues of little relevance to many scientists.

But the tool acts as a useful prompt for researchers about the need to plan such things early on. As the Archive states on its web site: "Early planning of data management can significantly reduce the costs."