Five Things You Need to Know About Research Data Management and the Law. DCC Checklist on Legal Aspects of RDM

This checklist is intended to help researchers and support staff involved in developing or delivering support for research data management (RDM).

** Please note that this guide is out of date as it was written before the GDPR came into force in 2018.  We are currently working on an update.**

Who is this Checklist intended to help?

Researchers and support staff involved in developing or delivering support for research data management (RDM). For shorthand we use the term “research data professionals”. Please note the content refers mostly to UK legislation. Readers based elsewhere should consult guidance specific to their own legislative and regulatory contexts.

What does this Checklist cover and what does it exclude?

The checklist covers the main challenges for RDM support services, and the services and sources of legal information available to them. 

The Checklist summarises the following common elements of the main challenges for RDM support:

1. Protection of Personal Data
2. Freedom of Information (FOI) and Environmental Information (EIR)
3. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Data and Databases
4. Data Sharing, Licensing and Re-use
5. Legal Considerations of Cloud Service Provision

The Checklist aims to supplement more detailed guidance, including any advice available through your institution. Likely sources would include information governance or records management specialists, the research ethics committee, and research and enterprise office colleagues specialising in contracts, licensing and legal agreements.