Completion requirements
Aspects that help ensure sustainable access to data
These are three key factors that will help you ensure sustainable access to data:
Policies and processes
Policies
Many research organisations and publishers have policies to ensure research is reproducible. For example, the BMGF has its own Open Access Policy which requires data underlying the published research results be immediately accessible and open.
You will find that many governments also have policies that require the publication and sharing of data that is essential in delivering societal, environmental and/or economic benefits. Such public sector data often includes
- geographic
- environmental
- demographic
- and financial data
Processes
You should ensure processes, including Data Management Plans, cover requirements for longer term access to data.
People
You need to have a clear approach to data stewardship. This means:
- assigning roles to people so it is clear who decides about, and invests in, datasets, so they are sustainable
- ensuring roles are suitably resourced with appropriate time committed to managing and sustaining data
Technology
You should use technology to curate and control access to data. This will support the people, policies and processes.
Some of the methods you may wish to examine are:
- open access platforms
- non-open data platforms allowing access over time to appropriate users
You can find guidance on preparing data for publication and a non-exhaustive list of repositories approved by the Foundation on the Gates Open Research platform.
