A researcher may choose to remain the gatekeeper, and all requests to access the data may be directed to a nominated contact.  Access methods may include sending the data directly to the requesting researcher or providing a login to download the data from a secure site. 

Sharing data does not necessarily mean making data openly and publicly available, although this is something that many researchers choose to do and may also be a funding requirement. When choosing to share data, researchers can determine access conditions and to set a desired level of access to their datasets.

Research data can be shared via several paths:

Sensitive data is defined as "data that can be used to identify an individual, species, object, or location that introduces a risk of discrimination, harm, or unwanted attention. Under law and the research ethics governance of most institutions, sensitive data cannot typically be shared in this form, with few exceptions." (Sensitive data, ARDC, 2022)

Sensitive data can relate to:

• Humans - for example, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, memberships of societies and unions, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, criminal record, health, genetic or biometric information
• Non-human - for example, sensitive environmental of diversity data such as rare, endangered or commercially viable species.

However, it is possible to share sensitive data. The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) provides advice on sharing sensitive data.

• Publishing sensitive data
• Identifiable data
• Indigenous data

University of Newcastle

The Research Data and Primary Materials Management Procedure (Section 5, 22-23) includes the following advice on sharing research data: 

• Research data and primary materials should be made available for re-use by other researchers unless precluded by privacy, safety and/or confidentiality requirements. Preclusions include formal confidentiality agreements, where research is focused on developing protectable intellectual property, or existing agreements or protocols approved by a properly constituted human or animal ethics committee. Researchers interested in re-using research data or primary materials should consult the owner of the data or materials, or the owner’s supervisor or Head of School should the owner not be available. 

• Access or re-use of data or information used in or generated by research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities will be subject to consultation with those peoples and communities prior to access or re-use. 

Funders

Australian funding agencies have guidelines and requirements relating to research data management. These guidelines address data in terms of: 

• data management plans and planning, 

• data dissemination and sharing, 

• data access and reuse 

• long term data storage. 

Underpinning these requirements are the data guidelines as set out in the Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research. 

• Australian Research Council requires researchers to outline how they plan to manage research data arising from ARC-funded research. From 2020, this requirement forms part of the agreement for funding under the National Competitive Grants Program.
• NHMRC encourages data sharing and providing access to data and other research outputs (metadata, analysis code, study protocols, study materials and other collected data) arising from NHMRC supported research. (Management of data and information in research: A guide supporting the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research)

Copyright and ownership are important considerations when undertaking research and authoring research outputs. Materials created or owned by third- parties will require permission for reproduction or other reuse before they can published. 

For information on copyright and how it applies to your data, please see the Library’s Copyright for Staff page. For advice and support on seeking written permissions to reproduce material, please contact the Copyright Advisor. 

A digital object identifier (DOI) is a persistent location identifier for a specific output such as a dataset. The DOI is made up of a string of numbers, letters, and symbols, which identify the output and provide a permanent link to its location. DOIs assist in making data outputs more findable and citable. Assigning a DOI also provides the ability for the data to be tracked by metrics systems, such as Altmetric Explorer.

The Library provides a DOI minting service for: 

• research datasets and collections, associated workflows, software, and models 

• theses, reports, unpublished conference papers, newsletters, creative works, technical standards, and specifications for which the institutional repository is the primary publication point. 

There is no charge for this service. This service is not available for peer- reviewed journal articles, ephemera, book chapters, or teaching and learning material. 

Email researchdata@newcastle.edu.au to request a DOI or for further information. 

The FAIR Guiding Principles for Scientific Data Management and Stewardship provide guidelines to improve the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of data.