Presented here are two models for the research process with data elements highlighted.

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While the models represent the processes differently, most models consider the following main phases:

Provocation, Ideation, Design

• Develop the research question
• Develop and revise research plans
• Collect preliminary literature and data from open data repositories
• Develop data management plans
• Pre-register research plans

Knowledge generation, Data Collection

• Use tools compatible with open sharing, and use automated workflow tools to ensure accessibility of research outputs.
• Collect data, using tools that automate formatting and curation tasks to ensure that digital datasets are interoperable and documented.
• In the case of physical samples and specimens, such as rocks, ice core samples, or tissue samples, researchers develop concrete plans to archive these according to disciplinary best practices.

Analysis, validation

• Document approaches to cleaning and preparing data for analysis in an electronic research notebook.
• Prepare data and tools for reproducibility, reuse, and participate in replication studies.
• Use open data techniques to analyze, interpret, and validate findings.
• Present their preliminary findings at conferences and refine their methods based on relevant comments and critiques
• Deposit an initial working paper in a preprint server and revise the paper based on the open peer review 
• Prepare data in standard formats according to disciplinary standards and describe both data and analytical code in optimal ways for reuse and replication.

Publishing, Dissemination

• Select the best venue for open publications, including articles, data, code, and other research products
• Select a public copyright license, such as the GNU General Public License for software or a Creative Commons license for other
  works, including scholarly articles
• deposit the final peer reviewed articles in an openly accessible archive as required by their research funders

Preserve, Archive

• Deposit research outputs in FAIR archives and trusted repositories to ensure long-term access to research results.
• Deposit research data and software in one or more data archives, with clear and persistent links among the article, data, and software.