Data sharing for reuse

Researchers are often asked by funders, institutions, publishers, or collaborators to share data at the end of a project. The University's Research Data Management Policy states that data are expected to be published unless there are legal, ethical, data sovereignty or commercial constraints which preclude it. This broadly aligns with the principle that research data should be "as open as possible, and as closed as necessary."

Sharing research data is beneficial for the research community and supports collaboration and citations. Common reuse scenarios:

• Evidence synthesis: use in systematic reviews or meta‑analyses
• Secondary analyses: new research questions using existing data
• Reproducibility: enabling validation of your findings
• Education: teaching or methods training

Decide what can be shared and what must remain restricted based on ethical, legal, cultural, and technical factors.

Key questions:

• Are there funder or publisher data-sharing requirements?
• Is the data technically shareable (usable format, adequate metadata)?
• Is it legally shareable (e.g. sufficiently de‑identified)?
• Is sharing ethically appropriate (participant consent for reuse)?
• Does the project involve Indigenous data, and can the CARE principles guide data governance?
• For sensitive data, do you need to apply the Five Safes to manage mediated access?

No public access

• Highly sensitive or data which cannot be sufficiently de‑identified may need to be stored for the required retention period, then securely destroyed.
• Create a metadata-only record in Institutional Figshare or another trusted repository to make your dataset discoverable even if the data itself cannot be shared. Include key descriptive information so others can understand what the data is about (FAIR principles for research data). Include the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) in data availability statements when you publish your research.

Mediated access

• Data may be shared on request through a data custodian or data manager, typically involving data‑sharing and data‑transfer agreements.

Open access

• Non‑sensitive, shareable data can be published in a repository with an appropriate licence.
• For more information, go to Open Access.

• Ensure the data is properly de‑identified.
• Review outputs to confirm they do not inadvertently reveal private or sensitive information.
• Use guidance from Stats NZ and Growing Up in New Zealand to assess what counts as a 'safe output'.

Research Data Support Services
Email: researchdata@auckland.ac.nz

e Research Engagement Specialist
Email: Tom Saunders