For research projects, the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) will retain ownership of data and will make the standard products publically available according to RCUK policy (currently within two years of measurement).

Users will have the first opportunity to publish the data within this period. NCAS will expect appropriate acknowledgement rather than co-authorship of papers where standard data only have been supplied – although NCAS staff should be offered co-authorship if they contribute substantially to the research or the writing of the paper.

For commercial projects, the user may require ownership of the data. In such cases, NCAS will seek to reserve permission to use the data for research.

The following guidelines are intended to encourage and facilitate early publication.

AMOF reserves the right of ownership of all data collected and processed by AMOF staff.

AMOF data will become open access (through the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis) after 2 years

Both NCAS and AMOF are acknowledged as the data source.

AMOF scientists should always be offered co-authorship if they have contributed scientifically to a paper, over and above the provision of the standard dataset and a general statement of the instrument specification.

Click Data Policy v1.1.0 (.pdf) to view the full policy

NCAS Long-term Observations

All long-term observations will be made available with a minimum of delay following collection and data quality assessment.

At remote locations, data may be locally stored and retrieved periodically on stage media. Data will be made available as soon as possible after retrieval and data quality assessment.

All quality-controlled data are open-access and freely publishable. Access and usage will be facilitated and monitored by CEDA.

Any campaign-type observations requested with an instrument providing a long-term dataset will not compromise the integrity of that dataset.

AMOF Observations for NCAS science

Campaign participants will have early access to all AMOF data acquired. Direct transfer of preliminary data in the field may be necessary and, where possible, AMOF will arrange common electronic sharing mechanisms. Preliminary data are defined as not quality-controlled or documented and should not be considered publishable.

Non-NCAS participants in a campaign who wish to use AMOF campaign data will be required to register with the campaign PI for permission to access the data. This will be achieved through CEDA access control protocols.

All NCAS staff will have free and open access to the data.

AMOF campaign data will become open-access and free to publish after a period of 2 years. Access and usage will be facilitated and monitored by CEDA.

AMOF Observations for non-NCAS science

Campaign participants will have early access to all AMOF data acquired. Direct transfer of preliminary data in the field may be necessary and AMOF will where at all possible, arrange common electronic sharing mechanisms. Preliminary data are defined as not quality-controlled or documented and should not be considered publishable.

Non-participants, be they part of NCAS or not, in a campaign who wish to use AMOF campaign data will be required to register with the campaign Principle Investigator (PI) for permission to access the data. This will be achieved through CEDA access control protocols.

AMOF campaign data will become open-access and freely publishable after 2 years. Access and usage will be facilitated and monitored by CEDA.

AMOF Observations for Commercial Customers

Campaign participants will have early access to all AMOF data acquired. Direct transfer of preliminary data in the field may be necessary and AMOF will where at all possible, arrange common electronic sharing mechanisms. Preliminary data are defined as not quality-controlled or documented and should not be considered publishable.

The customer will have the right to determine whether the data will be openly available and if so what embargo period to impose, if any, to a maximum