The LTER Network recognizes that researchers on the FCE LTER have first priority for use of their data in publications. The FCE Information Management protocol is that researchers must provide an "unlock" date for all datasets (meaning a date after which these data can be unlocked and made available to the public). This "unlock date" must be no more than 2 years from the submission date. The FCE LTER researcher associated with a given dataset controls access to their data within this 2 year protected period. No locked datasets will be released to anyone (including FCE-affiliated researchers) without the expressed permission of the researcher, transmitted in writing to the FCE Information Manager (email is acceptable), whose data have been requested. If a longer protection period is necessary for a particular dataset, the FCE researcher may petition the FCE LTER Internal Executive Committee (FCE LTER IEC) for a protection period extension. Without this special permission, no dataset may remain locked for more than the time periods described below after submission to the FCE database.
The FCE LTER Data Management Group will make "unlocked" FCE LTER data and metadata available for on line access via the web according to the data availability status as defined by the following data 'Types':
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Type 1: |
Published data and metadata are available upon request without restrictions other than those set out in the 'Data Users Agreement'. These data cannot be "locked". |
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Type 2: |
Collective data of the FCE LTER site, such as climatological and hydrological measurements, are available for specific scientific purposes within 1 year after collection. Maximum lock period = 1 year. |
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Type 3: |
Original FCE LTER experimental data collected by individual FCE researchers are available for scientific purposes 2 years after collection. Maximum lock period = 2 years. |
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Type 4: |
Data related to the FCE LTER Program but not funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) LTER Grant #9910514 are available for scientific purposes no more than 4 years after collection. Recommended maximum lock period = 2 years. In some cases, these data are funded by other agencies but the data are tied to the LTER objectives or were collected at FCE sites. In these cases, the researchers are strongly encouraged to either a) submit links to their databases, allowing direct connection to their web accessible data via the FCE LTER website and through the FCE Database, or b) to also submit their data to the FCE Information Manager at the time they are released to the agency. In either case, the researcher should seek permission of the agency in question to make this link. In these cases, the recommended lock period is identical to that mandated by the funding agency. |
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Type 5: |
In rare cases, data may require permanent restriction, and thus always be "locked" except with the permission of individual researcher. Data may receive this Type 5 status due to following conditions: A) Data that include sensitive resources that might be endangered by the release of information. This may include but not be limited to the locations of endangered species and locations of permanent plots in sensitive areas. B) Data that may compromise a person's personal privacy such as census data involving human subjects. C) Data that are covered by copyright laws such as TM and/or SPOT Imagery data. D) Data with quality assurance and control issues such as data with low quality or data that include measurements using new techniques that require further study before their value and limitations are understood. |