Data are the main asset of economic and social research. We recognise publicly-funded research data as valuable, long-term resources that, where practical, must be made available for secondary scientific research.

Our Research Data Policy is built upon the principle adopted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development stating that publicly-funded research data are a public good, produced in the public interest and, therefore, should be openly available to a maximum extent possible. ESRC is, therefore, committed to long-term preservation, high quality data management and strengthening the provision for secondary data analysis.

We expect award holders to generate scientifically robust data ready for further re-use. ESRC Research Data Policy is intended to support our award holders who collect, produce and re-use data by defining researcher's roles and responsibilities, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the Council and its data service providers. Document covers the general principles and policy statements on data access and sharing, including major expectations on data quality and management to which ESRC awards holders are expected to adhere.

While we strongly advocate further re-use of data we also recognise that some research data are more sensitive than others and argue that it is a responsibility of the award holders to consider all issues related to confidentiality, ethics, security and copyright before initiating the research. Further guidance on key strategic issues related to research data policy, such as copyright and confidentiality, security and ethical considerations are given in the Research Data Policy.

The Research Data Policy introduces the concept of data management plan. We believe that a structured approach to data management throughout the research life-cycle will enable better quality data that is ready for depositing for its further sharing. Those ESRC grant applicants who plan to generate data are responsible for preparing and submitting data management plans for their research projects as an integral part of the application. It is then a responsibility of the award holder to incorporate data management as an indivisible part of the research project to increase the potential for data to be shared. We require that the data must be made available for preparation for re-use and/or archiving with the ESRC data service providers within three months of the end of the award otherwise we will withhold the final payment.

A requirement of the ESRC Research Data Policy for data management plans came into force on 19 April 2011. ESRC applicants should refer to the full statement of the Policy as well as to the ESRC Research Funding Guide. Please note that the changes introduced by the ESRC Research Data Policy in relation to data management plans will not affect existing ESRC investments and applications submitted before 19 April 2011. Those ESRC applicants, who submit their proposals after 19 April 2011, will have to attach data management plans as part of their Je-S application. However, the ESRC encourages all investments generating data to think about introducing a robust data management, if not already in place.

• ESRC Research Data Policy (2010) (PDF, 148Kb)
• Data Management Plan: guidance for Peer reviewers (PDF, 85Kb) 

Comments or enquiries about ESRC Research Data Policy or any related matters should be sent by email to esrcresources@esrc.ac.uk.