Data archiving
Our goals for data archiving are:
- a high-quality long-term archive for raw data taken under all non-proprietary proposals.
- a robust mechanism for handling future storage-technology changes, including retrieval of data.
- to leverage Australian Government initiatives in e-Science, to the benefit of our users.
- a belief that the scientific world is heading towards more open-access to raw data taken at publicly funded research facilities (e.g. telescopes, the Human Genome Project, etc.)
- a need to show a clear and transparent return on investment to the Australian Government, for its capital and operational investment in OPAL and its instruments.
- the desire to protect scientific priority for our users (especially PhD students), for a reasonable period.
These considerations only apply to non-proprietary research at OPAL, with the following definitions of proprietary and non-proprietary research
| Proprietary Work | fee-for-service & 100% ownership of data |
| safety review of proposed work | |
| Non-proprietary Work | scientific peer review of proposal (including safety review) |
| raw data will be deposited in a public-access archive after 3 years, unless requested to do otherwise by PI of proposal |
Other useful webpages: Data Access Policy at the Australia Telescope
Data Access Policy at the European Southern Observatory in Chile