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Manage Research Data: Publishing your datasets

Introduction to data publishing

Graphic: The Research Data Management Cylcle

The Open Access publication of data can lead to increased social good, transparency and verification of research. Datasets can be reused for purposes very different to the original research and the combination of multiple existing datasets can provide an efficient starting point for research projects.

 

ECU datasets can be submitted for publication on our institutional repository, Research Online by completing the online form.

 

Image credit: The research data management cycle: Open Access Network

Research datasets can either be made openly available on Research Online, ECU's institutional repository or access can be mediated via email. For mediated datasets ECU library will require an email address that can be made publicly available online, to which all requests for access will be directed.

You can apply a Creative Commons licence to your data to stipulate how it can be reused.

 

 

Services provided for research datasets

 

  • Datasets receive a DOI -  a persistent identifier that authors can use to link their data to related outputs
  • Datasets are automatically listed on Research Data Australia 
  • Datasets are automatically listed on Datacite
  • Download statistics will document the impact of the data

Datasets can now be submitted by completing the online form.

If you would like further information about depositing your dataset into Research online please contact us at researchonline@ecu.edu.au

Data, Scientific; Astell, Mathias (2017): Benefits of Open Research Data Infographic. figshare. Figure. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5179006.v1

Making your datasets openly available can:

  • Enable increased impact of the original research
  • Increase opportunities for future collaborations
  • Avoid duplicate research - enabling funding and resources to go further
  • Provide feedback about your data
  • Allow multiple perspectives on the same dataset
  • Expand the reach and dimensions of your project
  • Help to build a culture of data citation

The Taylor and Francis sharing and citing data guide offers advice on understanding publisher policies and outlines some of the benefits to data sharing.

 

Some funders and publishers require or encourage sharing:

Where should you publish your dataset?

Consider:

  • Funders and publishers may stipulate when and where your data should be published.

  • Whether the type of data you've generated is supported by the repository.

  • Whether you're able to add a licence to determine how your data can be accessed and reused.

  • Where will the data be indexed? Does the repository ensure your data will be easily found by search engines?

  • Whether the repository offers additional services such as download and view counts, persistent identifiers, alternative metrics?

 

Resources on selecting data repositories

The Nature list of recommended data repositories.

Data is considered sensitive if its release could cause potential harm, discrimination or unwanted attention to an individual, species, cultural knowledge or artifact. It is possible to share sensitive data while ensuring the research subjects are protected. Ideally data sharing is considered early in the research project. This enables the potential reuse of the data both by yourself and other researchers to be considered as part of the ethics approval process, participant agreements and data management plans. You may be able to share the data after identifying aspects have been removed. It also possible to share a description of the data and your contact details so researchers can request access, enabling you to stipulate specific reuse conditions and keep track of who is using the data.

 

Resources on sharing and managing sensitive data

Very comprehensive information on sharing data including issues like ethics, identification, medical and indigenous data.

From the UK Data Archive, this guide serves as a handbook of considerations for data sharing. Including a section on anonymising data.

From the Office of the National Data Commissioner, thIs document has been developed is around the idea of a privacy-by-design approach.

Provides an opportunity for anyone interested to discuss the challenges and strategies for managing this type of data. The Sensitive Data CoP meets for an hour on the second Wednesday of every month. Rotating through a schedule of topics that cover disciplines that work with sensitive data, ethics and governance, technology, and longer how-to or best practice sessions.

is guidance document explores ethical considerations in the use of geospatial data for research, analysis and statistics. An ethics checklist is also provided for researchers and analysts using geospatial data, which summarises the main points covered in this guidance.

ARDC Research Data Rights Management Guide PDF

Choose the best copyright license to meet the requirements of sharing your data, maximise the ability of reuse for innovation whilst meeting legal, ethical and grant requirements. 


More information is available about choosing the best Creative Commons (CC) licence for your data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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