RDSpace@UBT :: info.policies.title

General Policies v1.0

Scope:
All areas of research and all types of research data. Contents must not violate privacy or copyright laws or breach confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements for data collected from human subjects.

Status of Research Data:
Any status is acceptable, regardless of the stage in the research data lifecycle.

Eligible Submitters:
Anyone can register as a user of RDSpace@UBT with a valid email address. As an external user, you have the option to create subscriptions to collections of interest and to be notified of changes and new submissions (provided the respective rights have been granted by the collection owner/submission holder).

For University of Bayreuth members, registration is available with the respective bt-identifier.
All University of Bayreuth members who are assigned to a scientific organizational unit or a central facility as scientific employee can function as submitters for content for which they hold the corresponding rights.

Ownership Rights:
Uploading content does not imply any change in ownership and does not transfer any ownership rights to the University of Bayreuth. All uploaded content remains the property of the parties prior to submission.

Data File ("Bitstream") Formats:
Uploading content of any format is permitted - including content that is not suitable for preservation. However, formats that are suitable for long-term availability and archiving are to be preferred.
Guidelines and features are being worked on to make it easier for users to submit their data in preservation-friendly formats.

Volume and Size Limits:
The total size of bitstreams (uploaded files) per dataset is limited to 100 GB and the size of one bitstream (one uploaded file) is limited to 20 GB. Higher quotas may be requested and granted on a case-by-case basis.

Data Quality:
All data is provided on an "as is" basis, and the user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the University of Bayreuth and the data providers who provide data to the University of Bayreuth in connection with the use of such information.

Metadata Types and Sources:
All metadata is stored internally in XML format according to a defined XML schema. Metadata is exported in various standard formats such as JSON, MARCXML, Dublin Core, and DataCite Metadata Schema (as per OpenAIRE Guidelines ).

Metadata language:
Generally, all languages are accepted for textual elements; however, all submitters are encouraged to also supply English translations of original titles or abstracts to enhance findability.

Access to bitstreams:
Bitstreams can be deposited under open, closed, embargoed, or leased access. Bitstreams deposited under closed access are protected against unauthorized access at all levels.
Access to metadata and bitstreams is via standard protocols such as HTTP and OAI-PMH .

Restricted access:
Data providers can deposit files with restricted access. Other users of the repository can then access when certain conditions are met. These bitstreams are not made publicly available, and sharing is only possible with the consent of the original datasets's submitter / collection administrator.

Embargo status:
Data providers can deposit content with an embargo status and specify an end date for the embargo. The repository restricts access to the bitstreams until the embargo period ends, at which time the content automatically becomes publicly available.

Lease status:
Data providers can deposit content with a lease status. The lease status helps restrict access to bitstreams of a dataset after a future date. A user can lease an object during submission or later by editing.

Metadata access and metadata reuse:
Metadata of published contents is licensed under CC0 except for local University of Bayreuth identifiers (bt identifier, organizational unit identifier), email addresses and phone numbers.
All metadata is exported via OAI-PMH and can be retrieved.

Use and reuse of bitstreams:
Use and reuse is subject to the license under which the bitstreams were deposited.

Revocation:
Content that falls outside the scope of the repository will be removed and DOIs assigned by RDSpace@UBT will be revoked.

Please report any suspected policy violation immediately, ideally no later than 24 hours after upload.

Alternatively, for content that already has an external DOI, the RDSpace@UBT DOI will be invalidated, and the record updated to indicate the original external DOI. User access may be revoked for violations of the End User Agreement .

Withdrawal:
If the uploaded research data object must later be withdrawn, the reason for the withdrawal will be indicated on a “tombstone” page that will henceforth appear in its place.

Withdrawal is considered an exceptional measure that must normally be requested and fully justified by the original submitter. In all other cases, reasonable attempts will be made to contact the original submitters to obtain their consent. The DOI and URL of the original object will be retained.

Versions:
Datasets in RDSpace@UBT are versioned. Uploaded bitstreams are archived as a Submission Information Package ("Bundle"). Derivations of datasets can be created, but the original content is never changed.

Datasets may be withdrawn from the public, but the bitstreams and metadata sets are preserved.

Replicas:
All datasets are stored redundantly at University of Bayreuth’s IT Service Center . Files are kept in multiple replicas in a distributed file system that is backed up every night.

Retention period:
RDSpace@UBT offers two sequential forms of long-term storage for research data:
- Data storage only, with a maximum 15-year retention period, is used for the safekeeping of datasets (e.g., as part of good scientific practice). Data providers can determine and adapt appropriate access rights.
- For data publication, the university commits to a holding period of at least 25 years. Published datasets always receive a DOI via DataCite and are thus internationally identifiable and citable.

Function preservation:
The University of Bayreuth makes no promises about the usability and comprehensibility of deposited objects over time.

Preservation of files:
Bitstreams and metadata are backed up nightly and replicated in multiple copies in the online system.

Immutability and authenticity:
All bitstreams are stored along with an MD5 checksum for the contents of the data files. Files are periodically matched against their checksums to ensure that the contents of the files remain constant.

Succession plans:
In the event of repository closure, every effort will be made to integrate all content into appropriate alternative institutional and/or subject-specific repositories, in order to meet the appropriate retention periods for the objects.