2.0 Use of Data

2.1 Investigators will have a reasonable opportunity to have first use of data that they have collected.

2.2 Investigators are encouraged to make data sets available to the scientific community in a timely fashion with a community accepted data repository with as few restrictions as possible, on a nondiscriminatory basis. Continuation of investigator support from the LTER program will be contingent upon the investigator contributing well documented data to the LTER database.

2.3 The consumer of these data (“Data User” herein) has an ethical obligation to cite it appropriately in any publication that results from its use. Researchers should receive adequate acknowledgment for the use of their data by others and should be provided with copies of publications using their data. Users of data from the data base must be aware that data is not to be sold or redistributed.

2.4 The Data User should realize that these data may be actively used by others for ongoing research and that coordination may be necessary to prevent duplicate publication. The Data User is urged to contact the authors of these data if any questions about methodology or results occur. Where appropriate, the Data User is encouraged to consider collaboration or coauthorship with the authors. The Data User should realize that misinterpretation of data may occur if used out of context of the original study. While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and associated documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed. All data are made available “as is.” The Data User should be aware, however, that data are updated periodically and it is the responsibility of the Data User to check for new versions of the data. The data authors and the repository where these data were obtained shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of the data.

3.0 Citing BNZ Datasets.

3.1 It is considered a matter of professional ethics to acknowledge the work of other scientists. Thus, the Data User will properly cite the Data Set in any publications or in the metadata of any derived data products that were produced using the Data Set.

3.2 Bonanza Creek dataset citation policy is as follows:

Creator(s), Year of Data Publication, Title of Dataset, Publisher, Dataset identifier, Dataset URL, Dataset DOI.

For example:
Van Cleve, Keith; Chapin, F Stuart; Ruess, Roger; Mack, Michelle Cailin. 2021. Bonanza Creek LTER: Hourly Air Temperature Measurements (sample, min, max) at 50 cm and 150 cm from 1988 to Present in the Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest near Fairbanks, Alaska, Bonanza Creek LTER - University of Alaska Fairbanks. BNZ:1.24, http://www.lter.uaf.edu/data/data-detail/id/1. doi:10.6073/pasta/b0141ea271c759ab7c9afab0d8b728e9.

4.0 Management of LTER data sets.

4.1 Data sets should be carefully documented throughout the process of data collection, correction, aggregation, analysis etc. to provide for the use of data by investigators not originally involved in this process.

4.2 Standard methods of quality assurance and quality control should be used to generate data included in the LTER database. These methods should be clearly documented.

5.0 BNZ LTER Database and Data Catalog.

5.1 A site-wide database will be maintained by data management personnel. Long-term archival storage will be assured for relevant data sets.

5.2 Investigators should document studies for the data catalog as early as practical in the process of collecting data.

5.3 Data will not be accepted for inclusion in the BNZ LTER database unless it is adequately documented.

6.0 Access to Data

6.1 All metadata will be freely available to those requesting it when, or before, the dataset itself is released and available regardless of any restrictions on access to the data.

6.2 All metadata will follow LTER recommended standards and will minimally contain adequate information on proper citation, access, contact information, and discovery. Complete information including methods, structure, semantics, and quality control/assurance is expected for most datasets and is strongly encouraged.

6.3 Data collected with LTER funding should be remain available even though an investigator is no longer associated with the project through transfer, retirement, disassociation, death etc.

7.0 Data Types

Type I – Data are to be released to the general public according to the terms of the general data use agreement within 2 years from collection and no later than the publication of the main findings from the dataset.

Type II – Data are to be released to restricted audiences according to terms specified by the owners of the data. Type II data are considered to be exceptional and should be rare in occurrence. The justification for exceptions must be well documented and approved by the lead PI and Site Data Manager. Some examples of Type II data restrictions may include: locations of rare or endangered species, data that are covered under prior licensing or copyright (e.g., SPOT satellite data), or covered by the Human Subjects Act. Researchers that make use of Type II Data may be subject to additional restrictions to protect any applicable commercial or confidentiality interests.