Baltimore Ecosystem Study

.| Baltimore Ecosystem Study

BALTIMORE ECOSYSTEM STUDY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT POLICY

Related Link: Long Term Ecological Research Network Data Management Policy

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this document is to set guidelines to resolve issues relative to scientists' rights to their information and their responsibility to make the information available to the rest of the scientific community.

INFORMATION SHARING

General. Pertains to all four types of information mentioned below.

Scientists have the obligation both to contribute information collected with LTER funding to the BES LTER database within one year of collection and to submit the information for publication in the open literature in a timely fashion.

With the exceptions discussed in information Type II, investigators have first right of publication of the information they collect before their release to the scientific community within the time limits specified.

Data sets shall be distributed by the BES LTER program with the conditions that

They are not sold or distributed by the recipient;
They are accompanied with adequate acknowledgement;
Improvements thereon are remitted back to BES.

Questions of interpretation of these policies will be resolved in writing by the principal investigators of the BES LTER according to the procedures discussed below.

Type	Description	Sharing Criteria
Type I.	Published information and its corresponding documentation.	Information and documentation are available upon request.
Type II.	Collective information of the BES LTER program (routine measurements generated by technical staff, e.g. meteorological data).	Information is available for specific scientific purposes immediately after it is entered, checked for quality, and documented.
Type III.	Original measurements by individual scientists.	Data sets shall be released in response to requests detailing specific scientific purposes two years after generation. Data can be released earlier with the permission of the responsible scientist. In either case, the permission of the lead principal investigator of the BES LTER shall be required. The information shall continue to be available even though a scientist may leave the project through transfer or death.
Type IV.	Special long-term data collected by individual scientists.	The lead principal investigator at the BES LTER site can designate that such data can be withheld for longer periods. This action should be rare and shall be justified by extenuating circumstances.

ADEQUATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The scientists, the BES-LTER Program, and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies must receive adequate acknowledgement for the use of data by other scientists, and the BES LTER program must receive two copies of any publication using that data. One copy will be placed at the CIES library and one copy will stay with the BES LTER Data Manager. A suggested format for this acknowledgement shall be distributed along with the requested data.

ADEQUATE DOCUMENTATION AND TRANSFORMATION OF DATA

It is the responsibility of the scientist to assure that the documentation and transformation of their data will be adequate to permit data to be used by scientists not involved in its original collection. The Information Manager shall ensure that the investigator complies with this requirement when filing the data set with the Information Manager.

INFORMATION QUALITY

The investigators are responsible for certifying the quality of their data. The BES Information Management Committee is responsible for setting the proper standards to assure the quality of data when transferring and disseminating data.

INTERPRETATION OF POLICIES

The BES LTER information Manager will be responsible for enforcing the above policies. Disputes arising with regard to these policies will be resolved by the Principal Investigators. Requests for resolution of a dispute should be submitted to the lead Principal Investigator in writing. The Principal Investigator shall acknowledge receipt of the request and reach a determination within 90 days. Such determination will be communicated to the parties involved in writing.