Frequently asked questions | Social Science Research Institute

Depositing data

Who will have access to the data?

Anyone can download and use data from the DATICE repository, as long as it is for non-commercial purposes. However, in some cases datasets have certain access restrictions, for instance if a dataset contains sensitive information.

Who will get permission to use my data if published with DATICE?

Most often data owners allow their data to be used by anyone as long as it is for non-commercial use. In other cases, there may be additional access restrictions depending on the type of license agreement made with the owner(s) of the data.

In most cases we offer a CC BY Creative Commons License (e.g., CC BY-NC-SA) which means that others can use, share and adapt your work, as long as they give credit to you. If needed, we also offer other more restricted licenses, such as when datasets contain sensitive data.

Who are most likely to use my data?

The most likely users are researchers working at domestic or international universities. Other likely users include various types of specialists, for instance specialists working for the government or local municipalities. Data are also frequently used for teaching purposes.

I would like to publish my data with DATICE, what is the next step?

If you are interested in publishing your research data with DATICE, do not hesitate to contact us.

How much does it cost to publish data with DATICE?

There are no extra costs for publishing data in open access with DATICE, other than the time it takes to prepare the data and documentation for open access.

How do I prepare my data for sharing and re-use?

The data should be prepared in such a way that others can easily understand and use it. All variables in the datafile(s) need to be clearly labeled and all variables and codes (e.g., syntaxes) should be self-explanatory. Unnecessary variables should be remove from the datafile(s). Furthermore, certain documentation should accompany the datafile(s), including a codebook and a methods report (short description of the study sample and methods), which help researchers to understand and analyze the data.

What are the preferred formats for the data and its documentation?

You can submit your data in the following formats:

.sav (SPSS file)
.csv (comma separated-values file)

Codebooks and other accompanying documents can be submitted as word documents (.docx) or text files (.txt). Questionnaires and interviews should preferably be submitted as pdf files or word documents.

If I deposit my data with DATICE, will it become the property of the data service?

No, the original data creator(s) will retain full ownership. DATICE stores the data for you and will not hold any rights, unless additional work is undertaken as part of in-house processing that gives added value to the data.

If I pay someone for collecting data (other than an employee), will I still retain copyright?

Yes, but a written agreement should be made with the person collecting the data which states that copyright is to be assigned to you.

Who should sign the License Agreement?

The owner(s) of the data should sign the License Agreement. If the data is owned by an institution or an organization, the agreement should be signed by a person authorized to sign such agreements within the institution/organization. The agreement makes sure the rightful owners of data retain ownership and can continue to use their data in any way they see fit.

When data from DATICE is re-used by others, how are my rights as an original copyright holder protected?

When data is deposited, access conditions to the deposited materials are agreed upon between the owner(s) of the data and DATICE, via a license agreement which is a legally binding document. Similarly, data users agree to a user license (Terms of Service) when downloading the data, where the user agrees to abide by all conditions stated in the agreement. The combination of these two agreements ensures copyright infringement does not occur.

If I sign the License agreement with DATICE, can I still distribute or publish my data through different channels?

Yes, you remain free to enter into other agreements or distribute the data in any way you see fit. However, there are many benefits of depositing data with DATICE. For example, we can handle various administrative and technical burdens for you which are normally associated with data distribution such as handling initial enquiries from potential users.

If my data contains sensitive or confidential information, are there alternatives to the standard license access?

If data contains sensitive or confidential information, additional access restrictions may be imposed. For example, some data may require a special access authorization from the owner(s) before the data can be downloaded. In some cases, the owner(s) may choose to place the data under embargo for a given period of time.