Ecological Data Management Policy                                                     GO BACK

Purpose

Many ecological research projects have been conducted on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) since 1950. These data provide a valuable research tool to researchers desiring to conduct ecological investigations on the INL or similar habitats. The purpose of this policy is to set guidelines for proper archive and use of these data.

The open dissemination of ideas and data is fundamental to the advancement of science. Publication in peer-reviewed journals has been the traditional method for sharing data; however, unreduced data is rarely reported in these articles. The unreduced data are often necessary for use in new analyses or synthesis works. In addition, in the last few decades there has been an effort to prepare for assessing ecological phenomena at long-term time scales. This necessitates the need for appropriate data management systems to ensure that the data collected now ill be available for future use. We cannot predict how or for what specific purposes future researchers or natural resource managers will use the data, but we do recognize that the small amount of historic data that we do have has proven to be of great utility.

Researchers today have an obligation to future researchers and resource managers and those collecting ecological data on the INL recognize their obligation to archive and share that data. Researchers using the INL agree to allow their data to be archived and made available for future use.

There are five objectives for the Ecological Data Management Program. They are:

• To ensure that data are archived with adequate documentation (metadata).
• To ensure that data archives are of high quality (especially manually entered data).
• To ensure that data are archived in a timely fashion (prevents loss of data).
• To ensure proper back-up of the data archive.
• To facilitate access to data.

Administration

The ESER Data Manager, NERP Coordinator and/or the ESER Program Manager will be responsible for day-to-day decisions regarding data management. Their actions would be subject to normal administrative review and evaluation.

This Ecological Data Management Program Policy addresses three issues: data archive, data availability, and intellectual property rights.

Data Archive

All investigators funded by DOE to collect data on the INL are required to provide their data to the ESER Data Manager immediately. All Investigators collecting data on the INL are asked to provide data in a reasonable amount of time (two years following observations or completion of study). Investigators who do not provide data within a reasonable amount of time will be denied further access to the INL until the data are submitted. Investigators will supply detailed metadata in the format specified by the ESER Data Manager for each dataset collected.

Data Availability

There are two types of data. “Freely Available” data are data sets that are available without restraint based on acceptance of the Data Use Agreement (see below). These data are generally associated with short-term projects. These data will generally be made available 2-3 years following collection.

“Restricted Data” will have restricted access, but at some point may be converted to “Freely Available” data. These may be long-term data that require longer data collection periods for trends to emerge. These may be short-term project data collected by graduate students who have not yet completed theses or published manuscripts. These data may refer to sensitive resources such as threatened and endangered species locations. These data may be restricted due to issues of national security. These may be data restricted for issues of legality such as copyright ownership. Restricted Data collected specifically for the Conservation Management Plan may be used immediately at the discretion of the ESER Program Manager for purposes of conservation planning. Metadata on all projects will be provided to any requester without restriction.

Investigator Intellectual Property Rights Protection

Publication in a refereed journal represents the first “best” sharing of data and this policy recognizes that by including provisions in this policy to ensure investigators have reasonable opportunity for first use and publication of their data. This is especially important for graduate students who have few data sets to their credit. Data collected for the CMP will be made available immediately for use in preparing the CMP. This does not preclude the data from being published by the original investigator at a later date in a technical journal or other publication. This data will not be disseminated further than its use in conservation planning until the original investigator has had opportunity to publish.

It is considered a matter of professional ethics to acknowledge the work of other scientists. Therefore, researchers using the INL request acknowledgement in subsequent distribution or publication of any work derived from these data sets. Data users are strongly encouraged to consider consultation, collaboration and/or co-authorship with the original investigators. Anyone other than the originating investigator wishing to use data must agree to the following data use agreement.

Data Use Agreement

Data sets made available by ESER researchers may be used for academic, research, recreational, and other professional purposes. Permission to use the data sets is provided without a fee subject to the following terms. The data user will:

• Notify the ESER Data Manager as well as the designated contact (e.g. Principal Investigator or Data Set Contact) when any derivative work based on or derived from the data and documentation is distributed.
• Notify users that such derivative work is a modified version and not the original data and documentation distributed by the ESER program.
• Not redistribute original data and documentation.
• Acknowledge the support of the Idaho NERP and the Department of Energy in any publications using these data and documentation using the following citation. “Data for XXX was supported by the Environmental Surveillance, Education and Research Program of the Department of Energy – Idaho Operations Office "; where XXX is the list of data sets used in the publications, reports or proposals.
• Acknowledge the name(s) of the investigator(s) responsible for collection of the original data set.
• Provide opportunity for ESER review of documents based on these data prior to publication. Request reviews through ESER Data Manager.
• Send two reprints or electronic format of any reports or publications resulting from use of the data and documentation to the following address:
  
  ESER Data Manager
  S.M. Stoller
  120 Technology Drive
  Idaho Falls, ID 83402
   
• Some older, “Legacy” data sets may not yet be in a condition suitable for distribution for a number of reasons
  • Older data sets may not have been converted to electronic format.
  • Some data sets may not have proper metadata.
  • Some data sets may not have had proper QA.
  • The potential value of these data may be great, but significant resources may be required to prepare these data for distribution. These data sets can be made available if funding is provided to properly develop these data sets.
• By using or copying these data and documentation, the Data User agrees to abide by the terms of this agreement. The ESER program shall have the right to terminate this agreement immediately by written notice upon the Data User’s breach of, or non-compliance with, or any misuse that is caused or encouraged by the Data User’s failure to abide by the terms of this agreement.
• Disclaimer: While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed. All data are made available “as is.” The ESER Program, DOE or its affiliates shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of data sets.

Data will not be released without agreement of the investigator responsible for collecting the data. Investigator responsible for collecting data will be allowed a reasonable amount of time for exclusive use. Requests for access to data should be made to the ESER Data Manager.

Ecological Data Management Policy (pdf format)

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