Research Data Management

Collection and Retention of Data

The University and its researchers must comply with all legal, ethical, funding body and organisational requirements for the collection, review, publication, storage, preservation and re-use of data, especially personal data, where particular attention must be paid to the requirements of data protection legislation, and the relevant University policies. The University recognises that there are legal, ethical and commercial constraints on the release of research data. To ensure that the research process is not damaged by inappropriate release of data, these constraints should be considered at all stages in the research process.

Confidentiality must be maintained where undertakings have been made to third parties or to protect intellectual property rights.

Data collected in the course of research must be retained intact for any legally specified period and otherwise for a period of at least ten years from completion of the project, subject to any legal, ethical or other requirements. The data must be kept in a form that enables retrieval by a third party, subject to limitations imposed by legislation and general principles of confidentiality.

If the research data is to be deleted or destroyed, either because its agreed period of retention has expired, or for legal or ethical reasons, it must be done in accordance with all legal, ethical, research funder and University requirements, and with particular concern for confidentiality and security.

Researchers must report any concerns regarding research data to the University as soon as they become aware of them.

Open Access

Brunel University London produces world-class research and is committed to ensuring free access to all our research outputs to maximise its usefulness to the wider research community and society in general. The University has an Open Access Mandate which forms part of an overarching Code of Research Integrity.

The University’s Publications Database (BRAD) and Institutional Repository (BURA) provide the mechanism for meeting the requirements of the mandate by recording details of all published outputs and making full-text versions of any publications easily available online.

Researchers are required to make their outputs freely available in accordance with the publishing requirements of the UK government and various funding bodies.   Research outputs are defined as published or publicly presented results of research work completed at the University and will normally have been subject to recognised peer review.

As such, Brunel researchers must:

• Record bibliographic details of all research outputs in the University’s publications database (BRAD) at the time of acceptance for publication
• Deposit full text copies of all journal articles and conference proceedings in BRAD for copyright checks and dissemination via BURA
• Comply with their funders’ policies relating to Open Access and Research Data Management
• Familiarise themselves with the different OA publishing options: GOLD (pay to publish) and GREEN (self-archiving) and apply for APC funding accordingly
• Include an ORCiD ID when submitting publications, applying for grants and in any research workflow to ensure that the individual is credited for their work
• Ensure research outputs are correctly attributed to and affiliated with “Brunel University London”

A fuller outline of the key roles and responsibilities of all Brunel researchers regarding the recording and dissemination of research outputs can be found in the University’s Publications Policy.  (Help and advice on research output issues, including PhD theses, is available from the Library via bura@brunel.ac.uk).

More information is also available in the Open Access Library Guide.

Publication and Authorship

Dissemination of knowledge is one of the objectives of the University.  A publication must report research and research findings accurately, and any publication must contain appropriate acknowledgement of the direct and indirect contributions of colleagues, collaborators and others.

Any person who has participated in a ‘substantial’ way in conceiving, executing or interpreting a significant part of the relevant research should be given the opportunity to be included as an author of a publication derived from that research.  Queries regarding the definition of a ‘substantial’ contribution for an individual piece of work should be resolved, using discipline practice as guidance, prior to publication by the PI’s Head of Institute/ Dean of College or their representative.

It is an ethical requirement that the design and results of the research must be published. All those pursuing research must open their work to critical review through the accepted scientific and professional channels. Once established, findings must be made available to those participating in the research and to all those who could benefit from them, through publication and/or other appropriate means.  

Both authors and publishers have ethical obligations.  In publication of the results, researchers are obliged to preserve the accuracy of the results.  Negative as well as positive results should be published or otherwise be made publicly available.  Researchers must not engage or collude in selecting methods designed to produce misleading results, or in misrepresenting findings by commission or omission.

Sources of funding, institutional affiliations and any possible conflicts of interest should be declared in the publication.

The University shall seek to ensure that sponsors and funders of research shall:

• Respect the duty of researchers to publish their research and the findings of their research
• Not discourage or suppress appropriate publication or dissemination
• Not attempt to influence the presentation or interpretation of findings inappropriately.

Reports of research not in accordance with the principles laid down in this Code should not be submitted for publication.

Related Policies

Data Protection Policy

The University Policy on Research Data Management

Brunel University Open Access Policy