The NIST RDaF is a map of the research data space that uses a lifecycle approach with six high-level lifecycle stages to organize key information concerning research data management (RDM) and research data dissemination. Through a community-driven and in-depth process, stakeholders identified topics and subtopics?programmatic and operational activities, concepts, and other important factors relevant to RDM. All elements of the RDaF framework foundation?the lifecycle stages and their associated topics and subtopics?are defined. Most subtopics have several informative references, which are resources such as guidelines, standards, and policies that assist stakeholders in addressing that subtopic. Further, the NIST RDaF team identified 14 Overarching Themes which are pervasive throughout the framework. The Framework foundation enables organizations and individual researchers to use the RDaF for self-assessment of their RDM status. The RDaF includes sample ?profiles? for various job functions or roles, each containing topics and subtopics that an individual in the given role is encouraged to consider in fulfilling their RDM responsibilities. Individual researchers and organizations involved in the research data lifecycle can tailor these profiles for their specific job function using a tool available on the RDaF website. The methodologies used to generate all features of the RDaF are described in detail in the publication NIST SP 1500-8.

This database version of the NIST RDaF is designed so that users can readily navigate the various lifecycle stages, topics, subtopics, and overarching themes from numerous locations. In addition, unlike the published text version, links are included for the definitions of most topics and subtopics and for informative references for most subtopics. For more information on the database, please see the FAQ page.