There may be reasons why you cannot publish your data. Some examples could include:
- the data contains personal or other sensitive data and cannot be anonymised
- you do not have appropriate participant consent to share your data openly
- you do not have permission from third parties that might hold rights to the data
It is important to remember you should not share data if it is legally and ethically wrong to do so.
Where can I get advice?
If you have doubts over your rights to publish your data, you should consult:
- the Principal Investigator responsible for the study
- your Departmental Administrator (or equivalent)
- the appropriate contracts manager at the Research Operations Office
Use a managed access repository
Some repositories allow data to be deposited under managed access conditions. The type of access restrictions varies, usually according to the level of sensitivity of the data. If access is restricted, metadata can be made available publicly with details about the data. Restriction options can include:
- Embargo - access to the data is restricted for a specific amount of time for example, to delay the release of the data until a paper is published.
- Safeguarded - access to the data is granted only when the person requesting it has completed an agreement. This ensures the data provider knows who has access and the data requestor understands how they can reuse the data. This might be appropriate for example if a researcher only has permission to share the data with other researchers.
- Controlled - access to the data is only given after the user has been approved by a committee and has completed an agreement on how they will use the data. This would be appropriate for highly sensitive data that restricts with whom and how it can be shared.
An example of a repository that offers managed access is the UK Data Service.
You can find other options using re3data.org, a searchable registry of repositories. You can search by discipline and for those with access controls.
Other items to consider publishing
There may be aspects of your research that you can publish, for example:
- the methods or protocols used in the research
- blank questionnaires or survey questions
- summaries of the data
- details about how the raw data can be accessed (if appropriate). Those wishing to access your data can contact you and complete a data transfer agreement