#  Introduction

We have done a survey of available data repositories but we could not identify
an appropriate repository that would fit the project’s focus. This might be
due to our nontraditional, innovative, and interdisciplinary approach of
combining plant science, computer science, engineering, and architecture. For
example, there are multiple data repositories that focus on plant science
which are, however, very specific for genetic data, geographical data, etc.
Therefore, we have decided to use a multipurpose data repository. We have
chosen Zenodo  1  due to its assumed high reliability now and in the future.

In addition, we expect to generate big amounts of data. The overhead of
storing and handling all of that data seems not justifiably. Hence, we have
decided for a hybrid approach of selecting data that we store only for the
lifetime of the project on our project’s Cloud service hosted by OwnCube e.U.
2  and for which we share data based on individual requests. A more selective
choice of data will be uploaded to Zenodo allowing for preservation beyond the
project’s lifetime.

Finally, we plan a strategy of storing almost all data by one service (Zenodo)
for simplicity and as a holistic approach. At the same time, we allow to
continue ongoing data sharing procedures of members of our project consortium,
especially, concerning self-archiving practices of publications (conference
papers and journal papers) and open-source availability of developed software
via software repositories such as GitHub  3  and sourceforge  4  .

#  Specifications for each data set

2.1 DATA1 – publications

2.1.1. Data set reference and name

DATA1 – publications (conference papers, journal papers, monographs)

2.1.2. Data set description

Scientific and peer-reviewed papers that are published by members of the
project consortium. Groups with interest in this type of data set are the
readerships of the respective conferences and journals.

2.1.3. Standards and metadata

We will use Zenodo  5  . Hence, Zenodo also defines and handles the metadata.
Citing from their policies  6  : “Metadata is licensed under CC0, except for
email addresses. All metadata is exported via OAI-PMH and can be harvested.
[...] All metadata is stored internally in MARC [...]. Metadata is exported in
several standard formats such as MARCXML, Dublin Core, and DataCite Metadata
Schema according to OpenAIRE Guidelines.” Version control is not necessary.
Furthermore, we keep for each publication in this data set a BIBTEX entry and
its DOI  7  .

2.1.4. Data sharing

The publications will be uploaded as PDF (Portable Document Format) on the
servers of Zenodo. In addition, an incomplete selection of papers will be
uploaded to  http://arXiv.org  and members of the project consortium will also
continue their self-archiving practices.

2.1.5. Archiving and preservation (including storage and backup)

The data will be curated by Zenodo who state about their retention period:
“Items will be retained for the lifetime of the repository. This is currently
the lifetime of the host laboratory CERN, which currently has an experimental
programme defined for the next 20 years at least. [...] In case of closure of
the repository, best efforts will be made to integrate all content into
suitable alternative institutional and/or subject based repositories.”  8

2.2 DATA2 – photo & video material of experiments

2.2.1. Data set reference and name

DATA2 – photo & video material of plant & robot experiments

2.2.2. Data set description

Generated data, photos and videos taken during experiments with natural plants
and robots. Data is of interest for plant scientists and roboticists. It
partially underpins scientific publications. The data is probably too specific
to allow for integration.

2.2.3. Standards and metadata

Data is labeled with experiment ID. Photos are numbered in chronological order
or alternatively labeled directly with the time in the experiment (e.g.,
minutes after start of experiment). Videos are labeled with the experiment ID
and numbered chronologically if there are multiple parts. Version control is
not necessary. For each experiment dataset there is a short textual
description of the experiment itself, when it was started, when it was ended,
and who supervised it. For the data that is uploaded to Zenodo, Zenodo defines
and handles the metadata (see above).

2.2.4. Data sharing

Given the amount of this kind of data that will be generated throughout the
project, we do not plan a central data deposit for all of it. Individual
photos and videos that are representable for the respective experiment and/or
relevant for publications will be stored in the project’s Cloud service
(OwnCube e.U., An der Liesing 2-34/7, 1230 Wien, Austria) for the duration of
the project, shared among project partners, and data requests for that data
from outside the project will be handled individually. A smaller selection of
that data will be uploaded to the servers of Zenodo and hence allow for easy
sharing.

2.2.5. Archiving and preservation (including storage and backup)

For the data stored on our cloud service we cannot guarantee preservation
beyond the project’s lifetime but that is taken care of by the smaller
selection of data that will be uploaded to Zenodo (lifetime of the host
laboratory CERN is 20+ years, see above).

2.3 DATA3 – developed software

2.3.1. Data set reference and name

DATA3 – developed software

2.3.2. Data set description

A variety of different software packages are going to be developed in this
project including software to run microprocessors (e.g., Raspberry Pi  9  ,
sensors, actuators, to run complete robot platforms, and also simulation
software frameworks. The developed software is mostly of interest for
roboticists while some of the simulation software might also be of interest
for plant scientists. The software partially underpins scientific publications
and is probably too specific to allow for integration.

2.3.3. Standards and metadata

For service such as GitHub and sourceforge the metadata is very specific and
depends on the respective hosting service. For the data that is uploaded to
Zenodo, Zenodo defines and handles the metadata (see above).

2.3.4. Data sharing

For software we plan a hybrid approach. For software that is under development
(i.e., within the project’s lifetime) we are going to use a project-internal
software versioning and revision control tool based on Apache Subversion (SVN)
10  which is hosted by the “Zentrum fu¨r Informationsund Medientechnologien
(IMT)” of the University of Paderborn (UPB, project coordinator). For software
releases we are going to use standard and well accepted hosting services for
scientific open-source software such as GitHub  11  and sourceforge  12  but
also to provide the software via Zenodo  13  .

2.3.5. Archiving and preservation (including storage and backup)

For the software stored on our project-internal software versioning system we
cannot guarantee preservation beyond the project’s lifetime but that is taken
care of by the released software packages that will be uploaded to Zenodo
(lifetime of the host laboratory CERN is 20+ years, see above).

2.4 DATA4 – sensor data of experiments

2.4.1. Data set reference and name

DATA4 – sensor data of plant & robot experiments

2.4.2. Data set description

Generated sensor data acquired during experiments with natural plants and
robots. This includes data from sensors monitoring the plants (temperature,
humidity, etc.) and from sensors of the robots (proximity sensors, force
sensors, etc.). Data is of interest for plant scientists and roboticists. It
partially underpins scientific publications. The data is probably too specific
to allow for integration.

2.4.3. Standards and metadata

Data is labeled with experiment ID, numbered in chronological order or
alternatively labeled directly with the time in the experiment. For each
experiment dataset there is a short textual description of the experiment
itself, when it was started, when it was ended, and who supervised it. For the
data that is uploaded to Zenodo, Zenodo defines and handles the metadata (see
above). Version control is not necessary.

2.4.4. Data sharing

Given the amount of this kind of data that will be generated throughout the
project, we do not plan a central data deposit for all of it. Individual
photos and videos that are representable for the respective experiment and/or
relevant for publications will be stored in the project’s Cloud service
(OwnCube e.U., An der Liesing 2-34/7, 1230 Wien, Austria) for the duration of
the project, shared among project partners, and data requests for that data
from outside the project will be handled individually. A smaller selection of
that data will be uploaded to the servers of Zenodo and hence allow for easy
sharing.

2.4.5. Archiving and preservation (including storage and backup)

For the data stored on our cloud service we cannot guarantee preservation
beyond the project’s lifetime but that is taken care of by the smaller
selection of data that will be uploaded to Zenodo (lifetime of the host
laboratory CERN is 20+ years, see above).

2.5 DATA5 – logging & tracking data of experiments

2.5.1. Data set reference and name

DATA5 – logging & tracking data of plant & robot experiments

2.5.2. Data set description

Generated data acquired during experiments with natural plants and robots
including data generated by image processing of photos and logging data of our
hardware systems. Data is of interest for plant scientists and roboticists. It
partially underpins scientific publications. The data is probably too specific
to allow for integration.

2.5.3. Standards and metadata

Data is labeled with experiment ID, numbered in chronological order or
alternatively labeled directly with the time in the experiment. For each
experiment dataset there is a short textual description of the experiment
itself, when it was started, when it was ended, and who supervised it. For the
data that is uploaded to Zenodo, Zenodo defines and handles the metadata (see
above). Version control is not necessary.

2.5.4. Data sharing

Given the amount of this kind of data that will be generated throughout the
project, we do not plan a central data deposit for all of it. Individual
photos and videos that are representable for the respective experiment and/or
relevant for publications will be stored in the project’s Cloud service
(OwnCube e.U., An der Liesing 2-34/7, 1230 Wien, Austria) for the duration of
the project, shared among project partners, and data requests for that data
from outside the project will be handled individually. A smaller selection of
that data will be uploaded to the servers of Zenodo and hence allow for easy
sharing.

2.5.5. Archiving and preservation (including storage and backup)

For the data stored on our cloud service we cannot guarantee preservation
beyond the project’s lifetime but that is taken care of by the smaller
selection of data that will be uploaded to Zenodo (lifetime of the host
laboratory CERN is 20+ years, see above).

2.6 DATA6 – logging data & images of simulations

2.6.1. Data set reference and name

DATA6 – logging data & images of simulations

2.6.2. Data set description

Generated data acquired during simulations of natural plants and robots
including logging data of simulations, screenshots, and other visual
representations of data. Data is of interest for plant scientists and
roboticists. It partially underpins scientific publications. The data is
probably too specific to allow for integration.

2.6.3. Standards and metadata

Data is labeled with experiment ID, numbered in chronological order or
alternatively labeled directly with the time in the experiment. For each
experiment dataset there is a short textual description of the experiment
itself, when it was started, when it was ended, and who supervised it. For the
data that is uploaded to Zenodo, Zenodo defines and handles the metadata (see
above). Version control is not necessary.

2.6.4. Data sharing

Given the amount of this kind of data that will be generated throughout the
project, we do not plan a central data deposit for all of it. Individual
photos and videos that are representable for the respective experiment and/or
relevant for publications will be stored in the project’s Cloud service
(OwnCube e.U., An der Liesing 2-34/7, 1230 Wien, Austria) for the duration of
the project, shared among project partners, and data requests for that data
from outside the project will be handled individually. A smaller selection of
that data will be uploaded to the servers of Zenodo and hence allow for easy
sharing.

2.6.5. Archiving and preservation (including storage and backup)

For the data stored on our cloud service we cannot guarantee preservation
beyond the project’s lifetime but that is taken care of by the smaller
selection of data that will be uploaded to Zenodo (lifetime of the host
laboratory CERN is 20+ years, see above).

11

#  Conclusion

A data management plan is not a fixed document, instead it might be refined
later during the project. The feasibility and utility of this data management
plan will be monitored during the next months and years of the project. Also
the number of data requests from outside the consortium will be recorded.
Depending on that experience we will consider appropriate actions and changes
of this plan.