University Library will purchase or license datasets and/or data services upon user or subject librarian request within the parameters set by this policy. In this context, data are digital objects that can be used for education and research purposes.
The Library has defined the scope of data eligible for purchase/licensing as follows:
- Only data that can be licensed campus-wide will be considered. “Single user” datasets will not be purchased (e.g. iTunes model). That is, if only a single user (or project team) can use the dataset based on restrictive license terms or technical requirements, The Library will not purchase the data.
- License agreements must conform with this policy and the Library’s preferred license terms see Subscription and License Evaluation Guidelines).
- License agreements must conform with university purchasing policy.
- The Library does not host data that contains any protected data elements, such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) about people, that would be classified as critical data in any domain.
The Library will not enter into license agreements for datasets without an associated cost. Data agreements not executed by the library should be sent to Research Contracting or General Counsel for review and execution. Individuals are not authorized to sign on behalf of IU. Before a dataset/data service is purchased or licensed, the answers to the following questions should be considered.
- Will users be required to sign some type of data agreement or Terms of Use?
- Will the library host the data? If so, how will the necessary access controls be put in place? (The library will not host data on behalf of a researcher that it has not purchased/licensed.)
- The data must be classified as Public or University Internal.
- Does the license or purchase contract allow text and data mining?
It may also be necessary to consult with an IU Data Steward regarding licensing terms, particularly related to management or security requirements specified in the license. Each Data Steward is assigned to a particular domain, such as Library Data, Student Data, or Research Data. Data Stewards’ contact information is available at https://datamanagement.iu.edu/governance/data-stewards/index.php