Research data management is the care and management of data from all stages of the research lifecycle, beginning with idea conception and continuing through proposal writing, data collection, data processing and analysis, the publication process, and curation of research data for public sharing through a data repository. Managing research data is a complex undertaking that requires thoughtful planning followed by attention to detail throughout the entire research process. In some cases, data management plans and documentation will need to be updated throughout the span of the project. Specifics of implementation will vary by discipline and type of research project.