Can I / Should I share my data openly?

Can I / Should I share my data openly?

Before openly sharing your data, check whether you have the right to share it considering legal, ethical and contractual issues.

The principle governing the openness of research data is: « As open as possible, as closed as necessary ».

In fact, there are different degrees of data openness: from complete openness to complete closure, via various forms of restricted or controlled access.

Your datasets may be closed or access restricted if they contain, for example: personal data – including sensitive data, confidential data, data protected by copyright, data with commercial value-adding potential, or data in breach of a prior commitment relating to data sharing (e.g. a consortium agreement, etc.).

Open Data is therefore not mandatory. However, the data must be « FAIR ».

(Source : UCLouvain, Open Data)