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Research Data Management: Share Data

Managing, preserving, and sharing research data.

Share Data

Why Share Your Data?

  • Funding agencies may require that data be shared or be made publicly accessible
  • It may increase the impact of your research and lead to new discoveries
  • Reuse of data may save research teams money and time
  • It has potential to improve scientific rigor and collaboration

How to Share your Data

Consider the best options for storage and describe your data to make it easier for others to find and use.  Also take into account issues related to confidentiality, intellectual property, and licensing.

  • Confidentiality. Studies involving human subjects should follow UMB Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Human Research Protections Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure HIPAA compliance. Informed consent must include provisions on confidentiality and access to personal data during research and publishing. Research participants must be informed about how data will be stored, preserved, and used and how confidentiality will be maintained.
     
  • Intellectual Property. Even for funded projects that require public access, research data that impact intellectual property, proprietary interests, and business confidentiality may need to be protected.  Adhere to copyright laws if content or data is not yours, such as images or a database schema. In these cases, data access might need to be controlled by using a login or IP-based access. Restricting access temporarily until IP is cleared is also an option. For guidance, consult the UMB Policy on Intellectual Property and the Office of University Counsel.
     
  • Licensing. Licensing allows you to specify how others are permitted to use your research data. The primary sources for licenses are Creative Commons (CC) and Open Data Commons (ODC). These authorize data use ranging from completely open (public domain) to more restricted use. While CC licenses cover both content and data, OCD is more suitable for data and less restrictive than CC. Many repositories will present several licensing options when you deposit data.