Policy Guidelines on Open Science and Open Data

These Policy Guidelines on Open Science & Open Data are an output of NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Respiratory Health (RESPIRE) Supporting Platform III: ‘Open Science, Data and Methodologies.’ They were developed primarily to support FAIR data and other Open Science activities among RESPIRE research partners in seven Southeast Asian countries: viz. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; along with the UK.

Beyond this immediate objective, the authors have attempted to provide guidance for the adoption of Open Science principles and practices in large international collaborations, particularly when those collaborations are driven by researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). As such, the Guidelines are intended to be a reference tool for researchers seeking to engaging with research partners, stakeholders, and their communities in LMICs. 

Drawing on the first-hand experience of its principal author, the Guidelines account for issues relating specifically to respiratory health research in LMICs, including basic differences in resource and equipment availability. Guidance and advice are, therefore, geared towards addressing such issues at the most practical level. In addition to providing a framework for open research practices, the Guidelines also address in detail key ethical and legal issues around safeguarding personal and sensitive health data, both in the field and in LMIC institutions. The Guidelines include summary information of data protection legislation in all the RESPIRE partner countries, how this legislation aligns with UK/EU GDPR, and issues arising.