This page provides information on the University's open research policies, that all research staff and students should be aware of and work within.
University of Cambridge Open Research Position Statement
This Statement summarises the University’s approach to Open Research. Informed by external frameworks including the Concordat on Open Research Data, it sets out key principles for the conduct and support of Open Research at the University of Cambridge.
University of Cambridge Research Data Management Policy Framework
The University of Cambridge is committed to disseminating its research and scholarship as widely as possible. This is a summary of the University’s Research Data Management Policy Framework for research staff and students at the Department of Chemistry written by the Committee for the Library and Scholarly Communication. It outlines the responsibilities of research staff and students with regard to research data management. Please consult the full text of the Framework for further detail; links to support you are provided at the end of this Summary.
By "data" we mean the evidence required to back up our scientific results. This definition is deliberately broad and identifying what "data" is requires some judgement.
The University is committed to making our data sufficiently open that our published results can be verified and, ideally, reproduced, as long as this can be achieved at reasonable cost.
Some funders require a certain level of openness, although explicit exceptions are possible. This means that by accepting the terms of a grant, we are taking on obligations to share data.
Responsibilities of the University
The University has the responsibility to keep us informed via training and guidance, and to support us with infrastructure, including active data storage options such as Apollo, the University repository.
Responsibilities of research staff and students
Planning ahead for how our data will be handled
Plans should include both short-term issues such as costs of storage and time spent on data curation, and also long-term issues. For example, technology or file formats that may become obsolete.
It is recommended by the University, and required by many funders, that a Data Management Plan (DMP) is written at the start of a research project, used as a living document throughout, and as a checklist towards the end. DMPs are important as places where the legal, ethical, and commercial restraints on release of research data can be identified. The University’s Research Data team can help you write DMPs, see the link below.
Handling data appropriately (including e.g. backups, security, confidentiality, etc).
IT Support and/or the UIS can advise you on the options available for this.
Sharing the data underpinning our published results as widely and openly as possible, ideally by depositing it in an appropriate repository:
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Shared data sets should have a DOI which is usually allocated at data deposit in a suitable repository. At this point the data is fixed, like a paper - and is not available for subsequent editing.
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A statement about data accessibility should be included in every published paper.
Links to further information
University of Cambridge Research Data Management Policy Framework
Summary table of Research data policies of major University research funders e.g. ERC, EPSRC
University’s Research Data website (guides researchers through various aspects of research data planning and management and will provide assistance in meeting funders’ expectations)
OSC (Office of Scholarly Communication) Research Data team RDM and data management plan guidance
DMPonline tool to create DMPs (includes some sample DMPs)
Example DMP for synthetic chemistry/EPSRC
UIS Data storage
OSC Research Data team Data Management Plan Support Service
OSC advice on research data statements in publications
Cambridge data-related policies overview (includes the University’s Open Research Position Statement)