Work

Do data management policies become more open over time?

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Research data management (RDM) policies are ubiquitous in UK Higher Education Institutions, and are often written and managed by, or with, the library team. RDM policies attempt to balance the requirements of keeping data safe and secure when necessary and opening up data to allow reuse and to support research integrity. This article uses a framework analysis approach on 134 policies to investigate whether the UK RDM policies have become more open over time in terms of policy points and language. The investigation shows that recent policies have shown an increased likelihood of being more open in several areas: how long data should be archived for, sharing of software, and the mandatory inclusion of data availability statements in journal articles. Language around FAIR data terms have increased, as has using research integrity as a key reason to manage data according to best practices.

Source: LIBER Quarterly The Journal of the Association of European Research Libraries

DOI: 10.53377/lq.23144

Author: Beth Montague-Hellen

Institution: The Francis Crick Institute

Language: English

Topic: Research Data Management Practices

Subfield: Information Systems

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Wellcome Trust, Francis Crick Institute, Cancer Research UK, Medical Research Council

Award: G5931621002