Ownership and access to data deposited to a public-good archive: - Whose data is it anyway! Larry Burrows Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd

Acknowledgements The NVS team Susan Wiser Nick Spencer Jerry Cooper Michelle Breach Peter Bellingham Funding support NZ Foundation for Research Science & Technology NZ Department of Conservation

Context Advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) –Hardware, software, languages, connections Repositories, databases, databanks, archives –National and International initiatives Open-access initiatives –Free Journals, access to published information Interoperability –(e.g. GBIF – Edwards etal 2000, Science) Bioinformatics –(Bisby 2000, Science) Increasing global data flow

Widespread agreement on the needs and benefits resulting from sharing scientific information -

Benefits: –New uses –New datasets –Multi-disciplinary studies –Cost-effective –Reduced time/effort –Added value/re-use of data But who benefits!! –Burdensome –Time consuming –Unrewarding –Distracting –Competition –Fear of being scooped –Undercuts funding/facilities

‘Data sharing is not only a technical issue, but a complex social process’ (P. Wouters, 2002) ‘Sharing data does not come as naturally to scientists as the science ethos assumes.’ (P. Schröder, 2003) Balancing the needs of users and providers!

Outline 1.Who legally owns data? a.Formal rights 2.Who thinks they own data (data providers)? a.Their expectations 3.Why is it important to recognise those expectations? a.Metadata b.Data quality/standards c.Fairness d.Trust 4.Data exchange principles 5.Summary

Data-Owners and data-Providers are not necessarily the same Data-Owners are specified by law! Data-Providers deliver the services that make it useful! Official Information, Contract Law, Copyright Law, Digital Data Law, Intellectual Property Law

1970s1980s1990s Lands & Survey Department (Govt Department) Landcorp (SOE) Land Information (SOE) DTZ NZ Ltd (Private company) Land Information (SOE) Conservation Dept (Govt Department) Data ownership can change!

Typical data Owners: Government Departments, Research Organisations, Land Management Orgs.. –(NZ Dept of Conservation, Ministry for the Environment, Forestry Depts, Institutes…) Owners Rights: –(reproduce, transfer, sell, distribute,..) Owners need to agree to data being deposited to a public repository!

Who thinks they own data? ‘Data Providers’ –Collectors/researchers/data creators –Principal Investigators/team members –Curators –Analysts –Users

What are some expectations of data providers? E.g.: To control access? To archive, or Not to archive? To ask who are the Users? What is the data being used for? Is there potential for collaboration/recognition? Do Users understand the data?

Why recognise Providers expectations? Metadata Accuracy/quality Fairness Trust To get providers/collectors to contribute willingly –compulsion –volunteer

-Sp. name -Location -Date -Species name Taxonomy, synomym(s), citation(s), voucher, … -Location Geographic position, scale, coordinate system, Datum, georeference tool, … -Role Owner, originator, point of contact, PI, processor, measurer, organisation(s), … -Date -Vegetation dimensions -Plot dimensions -Site variables -etc, etc Simple Complex Users need Metadata!

Metadata complex cont. The more complex metadata, the more important it is for data Users

Accuracy/quality/standards Users need to know accuracy and level of quality control Repository needs to set standards Data providers are the main source of information

Fairness and Trust Data archive/repository creates a distance between the data Provider and the data User Repository needs to uphold and promote fairness and trust between Owners, Providers and Users

Data repository and exchange principles POLICY Enhance public availability of biodiversity data Make principles and conditions publicly available LEGAL Agreed data-sharing arrangements with data Owners Manage personal data details in accordance with legal conventions MANAGEMENT Protect the interests of data Providers Ensure sufficient metadata to assess scope and potential uses Expect data Users to contribute to collection, collation and management of repository

Summary To operate in a fair and trustworthy manner while balancing the needs of Owners, Providers and Users, a data repository needs to have: –A legal framework and data-sharing agreement with data Owners –Clear principles for both data Providers and Users –Some form of recognition/benefit to data Providers to ensure their ongoing participation