LERU launches statements on Open Access and Open data

The League of European Research Universities (LERU) has launched two statements on the importance of Open Scholarship: “Open Access to Research Publications” and “Open Research Data”.

“Open Research Data” (excerpts)

Open Research Data

Open research data represents a revolution in the way research is conducted and LERU both notes and endorses this development.

What is Open Data?

Open data is data which can be released in the public domain, and which should be freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish, without restrictions from copyright, patents or other forms of control.

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Are there copyright issues to consider?
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Unlike research publications, research data itself cannot be copyrighted, although datasets do raise copyright and privacy issues.
Ideally, a researcher or research team should allow data sharing, re-use and text mining. One way to do this, although there is as yet no consensus, is to assign a CC0 licence to the data.

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Funder policies and researchers

Research funders increasingly lay stringent requirements on the researchers they fund to manage their research data. Typically, these may well include the following:
– Research data is a public good and should be made freely and openly available with as few restrictions as possible in a timely and responsible manner;
– Published papers will explain how data can be accessed;

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