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Research Data Management Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) The University of Queensland (UQ or the University) acknowledges the significant value of research data. Good management of research data contributes towards:

  1. supporting the integrity of research outcomes,
  2. raising the impact of researchers and the University through access to research data,
  3. increasing returns on public investment through the innovative use of data,
  4. reducing risks associated with the potential loss and misuse of research data, and
  5. the protection and advancement of UQ’s reputation as a research institution.

(2) This Policy and the associated Research Data Management Procedure, establish processes for the responsible management of research data that is used, collected, created, held and/or generated by UQ researchers for the validation of research outputs, in alignment with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, and the Management of data and information in research NHMRC Guide.

(3) This Policy applies to all UQ Researchers who use, collect, create, hold, and/or generate Research Data, irrespective of their work location; and to all Research Data regardless of format, subject to UQ’s Legal Obligations.  

(4) This Policy aligns with and must be read in conjunction with the following:

  1. Research Data Management Procedure
  2. Information Governance and Management Framework
  3. Information Management Policy and procedures
  4. Cyber Security Policy
  5. Privacy Management Policy and Procedure
  6. Intellectual Property Policy and Procedure
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Section 2 - Principles and Key Requirements

Principles

(5) The University places a strong emphasis on making research data findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable according to the FAIR principles, and the CARE principles for research involving Indigenous research data.

(6) Subject to UQ’s Legal Obligations, UQ-generated research data should be made available for use and reuse for further research.

Key Requirements

(7) Research data must be stored, retained, documented and/or described, made accessible for use and reuse, and/or disposed of, according to UQ’s legal, statutory, ethical and funding body requirements. 

(8) All UQ research projects must be assigned an Information Steward (as outlined in the Research Data Management Procedure). The Information Steward must ensure that a research data management plan is created at the outset of each research project (as directed in the Research Data Management Procedure), and maintain the plan during the lifecycle of the project.

(9) UQ Researchers must uphold Indigenous Intellectual and Cultural Property rights in the management of research data, in line with the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research.

(10) The University and UQ Researchers must take all reasonable steps to keep research data secure, and protect it against unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, any other misuse, and loss, with consideration given to research data with sensitivities as specified in the Research Data Management Procedure.

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Section 3 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance

(11) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) is responsible for the development and implementation of this Policy, and monitoring, review and assurance activities.

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Section 4 - Appendix

Definitions

Term Definition
Information Steward Has the meaning given in the Information Governance and Management Framework, and as described in the Research Data Management Procedure.
Research Data
Includes all data used and held, created, collected and/or generated by researchers in the course of their research work, on which an argument, theory, test or hypothesis, or another research output is based, and is irrespective of the format of the data..
Research Data includes (but is not limited to) ‘UQ-generated research data’ as defined below.
Research Data Management Plan A research data management plan documents how research data will be managed during and shared after the project. The plan includes: a description of the project, details of data collection and analysis, ethics, ownership and intellectual property, storage plans and organisation of the data retention requirements and data sharing and publishing.
UQ-Generated Research Data A subset of ‘Research Data’. This is data that is specifically created, collected and/or generated by UQ researchers. UQ-generated research data does not include third-party or pre-existing data.
UQ Researchers Includes staff, Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidates, visiting fellows and researchers, adjuncts, academic title holders and students who conduct research, including Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) for the University.
UQ’s Legal Obligations The provisions of any relevant legislation or regulation the University is obliged to comply with, any codes, principles or guides the University seeks to comply with (including those referred to in this Policy) and/or separate contract or agreement entered by the University with a third party and/or any other legal or equitable obligation otherwise owed by the University to a third party.