{"id":353,"date":"2021-10-28T15:23:04","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T14:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/researchmatters\/?p=353"},"modified":"2021-10-28T15:58:32","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T14:58:32","slug":"building-equity-in-research-access-theres-a-data-statement-for-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/researchmatters\/2021\/10\/28\/building-equity-in-research-access-theres-a-data-statement-for-that\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Equity in research access: There’s a data statement for that"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The theme for 2021 Open Access week is \u201cIt Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity\u201d<\/a>. Over the next few months academics will hear a lot about the URKI\u2019s new open access policy<\/a> which starts in April 2022. For authors who aren\u2019t funded by UKRI it can be easy to switch off because this new policy doesn\u2019t affect you, but the principles supporting this new policy should be something that all authors should pay attention because they benefit everyone.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the key requirements in the new policy is, all articles must include a data statement. As someone who as part of my role has to search for data statements to ensure compliance, this, makes my heart sing. Finding data statements can be a time-consuming slog of a task, something which should be easy but often isn\u2019t. Under the old UKRI policy authors should have a data statement. Now everyone funded by UKRI must<\/strong> include a data statement. Everyone else, should include one too.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, it sounds like just one more thing that you as an author has to do, but if it\u2019s not something you already do, picture this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone searched for the word data in your article, would they be able to find where the underlying data is stored? Would it take them 10 seconds or 5 minutes? Is it even there at all? Times that by 100 every 2 weeks, do you feel my pain? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now imagine this, you get 20 minutes of access to internet a day which is patchy at best. This example is based on  specific real-life events from my childhood when we used dial up that was on the same land line as the phone which had to be clear in case my dad needed it for work. But, what if instead of schoolwork, I was doing something like researching cancer, or new forms of government or, a way to save someone I loved. Is it a good use of limited time and access spending that time and access searching for something that isn\u2019t there or is hidden?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guiding principles around publicly funded research and institutions are that research should be <\/p>\n\n\n\n