Data Access Statements
Sharing your data is made possible by the use of Data access statements. These are used in publications to describe where supporting data can be found and under what conditions they can be accessed. See definitions of research data here. All funders now require such statements, even when there is no data associated with the publication. Data access statements should include a persistent identifier, such as a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), which links directly to the data or to supporting documentation that describes the data in detail, how it may be accessed and any constraints that may apply.
- If data is openly available, provide the name of the data repository together with any persistent identifiers.
- If there are legal or ethical reasons why the data cannot be made available, then describe these.
- If the data is not openly available, then direct users to a permanent record that describes any access constraints or conditions that must be satisfied for access to be granted.
- If you used existing data from another source, then the source should be credited.
- A simple direction to ‘contact the author’ would not normally be considered sufficient.
The exact format and placement of a data statement may be influenced by a publication’s house style and you should refer to a publisher's house style guide for exact formatting.
Example data access statements
Openly available data
- All research data supporting this publication are directly available within this publication.
- Additional research data supporting this publication are available as supplementary information accompanying this publication at [insert DOI].
- Additional research data supporting this publication are available from the [insert repository name] repository at [insert DOI].
- Multiple datasets openly available at various data repositories were used to support these research findings. All the data used are referred to in the ‘References’ section of this publication.
Secondary analysis of existing data
- This study is a re-analysis of existing data that are publicly available from the [insert name of repository] repository at [insert DOI]. Further documentation about data processing is available from the [insert repository name] repository at [insert DOI].
- This study brought together existing research data obtained upon request and subject to licence restrictions from a number of different sources. Full details of how these data were obtained are available in the documentation available at the [insert repository name] repository at [insert DOI].
Ethical constraints
- Due to ethical concerns, supporting data cannot be made openly available. Further information about the data and conditions for access are available from the [insert repository name] repository at [insert DOI].
- Anonymised interview transcripts from participants who consented to data sharing, plus other supporting information, are available from the UK Data Service, subject to registration at [insert DOI].
- Supporting data are available to bona fide researchers, subject to registration, from the UK Data Service at [insert DOI].
- Due to the [insert term where appropriate: commercially, politically, ethically] sensitive nature of the research, no research subjects consented to their data being retained or shared. Additional details relating to other aspects of the data are available from the [insert repository name] repository at [insert DOI].
- Processed, qualitative data from this study is available from the [insert repository name] repository at [insert DOI]. Additional raw data related to this publication cannot be openly released; the raw data contains transcripts of interviews, but none of the interviewees consented to data sharing.
Commercial constraints
- Research data supporting this publication will be available from the [insert repository name] repository at [insert DOI] after a 6 month embargo from the date of publication to allow for commercialisation of research findings.
- Due to confidentiality agreements with research collaborators, research data supporting this publication can only be made available to bona fide researchers subject to a non-disclosure agreement. Details of the data and how to request access are available from the [insert name of repository] repository at [insert DOI].
Cost-effective sharing of data
- This publication is accompanied by a representative sample of research data from the experiment which is available from the [insert repository name] repository at [insert DOI]. Detailed procedures explaining how this representative sample was selected, and how this experiment can be repeated, are provided in the Materials and Methods section of this publication. Additional raw data underlying this publication contain [insert relevant number] additional sample images. These additional images are not shared online due to size of the images ([insert relevant number]GB/image); public sharing of these images is not cost-effective, and the experiment can be easily reproduced.
Digital data in proprietary formats
- Research data supporting this publication is available from the [insert repository name] repository at [insert DOI]. Some of this data is only available in a proprietary file format [insert name of the file format], which can only be opened with [insert name of software] software.
Non-digital data
- Non-digital research data supporting this publication are stored at a safe location at [insert name of School or institution] and can be made available on request, subject to the requestor travelling to [insert location of the samples]. Further information about the data and how to request access are available from the [insert repository name] repository at [insert DOI].
No new data created
- This is a review article, and therefore all data underlying this study is cited in the references.
[With thanks to Manchester University Library for the example data access statements text - https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/using-the-library/staff/research/research-data-management/sharing/data-access-statements/]
Why should I share my data?
- The Research Council Common Principles on data policy state:
‘Publicly funded research data are a public good, produced in the public interest, which should be made openly available with as few restrictions as possible in a timely and responsible manner.’
This principle is further strengthened in the Concordat on Open Research Data (PDF) that recognises that research data should wherever possible be made openly available for use by others in a manner consistent with relevant legal, ethical, disciplinary and regulatory frameworks and norms, and with due regard to the cost involved.
- If projects do not share research outcomes and supporting data there is a danger that duplication of effort may occur in the process of collecting such data again.
- Many funders now require researchers to share their data and others are encouraging the practice (check funder requirements at https://libguides.swansea.ac.uk/research-data-support-services/rdm-explained).
- It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to ensure that projects meet the expectations of their funding bodies when considering how and when to share research data.
- Sharing data enables other projects to build on your work.
Please also see the EPSRC Core Principles which align with the RCUK principles on data sharing
Further Resources
