Open Science Guide from DTU Library

Planning your research

Publications
Research Data

Be Open and FAIR

Open Data are online, free of cost, accessible data that can be used, reused and distributed provided that the data source is attributed.

Open Data are online, free of cost, accessible data that can be used, reused and distributed provided that the data source is attributed. FAIR data do not have to be open, but the conditions for access and reuse are clearly and transparently provided. DTU supports Open Science and requires data to be handled according to the FAIR principles.

Learn about the FAIR principles and watch a Film about Open Data. Read the DTU’s Research Data Management Policy

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Be Open

Open Access means offering free access to scientific publications in order to reach a wider audience and to benefit the research community more broadly.

Open Access means offering free access to scientific publications in order to reach a wider audience and to benefit the research community more broadly. DTU researchers are encouraged to publish in the most suitable and prestigious publication channels available and choose Open Access journals if these are considered to match traditional journals quality-wise. In the planning phase, it’s good to think about which Open Access possibilities are available to you.

Read DTU’s publication policy and learn more about publishing Open Access

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Use existing data

Millions of data sets are available for use in innovation and research.

Millions of data sets are readily available for use in innovation and research. Researchers often deposit data in data repositories, while data collected by organisations and public agencies may be found through their websites.

Take a look at DTU Data, Zenodo, Figshare, Danish Statistics, National Archives, Open Data DK or Dataset search

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Check funder requirements

Check out the fine print when you receive funding for your research.

Read the fine print when accepting research funding. Many funders require Open Access publishing. Failure to comply can result in withheld funding or exclusion from future grants. You may also need to cover costs to make your publications freely available. To avoid surprises, plan for Open Access from the start of your project and include it in your budget. DTU Library offers discounted Open Access publishing through the Library’s subscriptions. Alternatively, consider the green Open Access route.

Learn more about requirements from grantors and funders

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Check funder requirements and plan the costs

Funders increasingly emphasise that grants should lead to FAIR and Open Data.

Funders increasingly emphasise that grants should lead to FAIR and Open Data. The costs for good research data management should be planned and included in funding applications.

Use this template to plan the costs.

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Avoid debates about intellectual ownership

Do not to transfer all rights to the publisher

We advise DTU authors not to transfer all rights to the publisher, but rather to license the limited set of rights needed to enable publication in a particular journal. For Open Access publications, DTU suggests that you use a Creative Commons license, for instance CC-BY (CC Attribution 4.0), which ensures credit by citation. If you are considering taking out a patent, make sure you take this into consideration before submitting your manuscript and do remember to be open and upfront when it comes to adapting e.g. conference papers into journal articles. This way, you will avoid accusations of self-plagiarism and/or double publication.

Learn more about Copyright and Creative Commons.

Try out the CC License Chooser too

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Clarify contractual, legal and ethical obligations

Familiarise yourself with external requirements and regulations that are important for your data.

Familiarise yourself with external requirements and regulations that are important for your data. Clarify which are your contractual, legal and ethical obligations and make data handling clear before you start collecting data. How do your collaborators expect access to data or use of confidential data?

Use the Timeline for Responsible Research to get an overview of what you need to consider through all phases of your research project

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Use literature

DTU Findit gives you access to hundreds of thousands of publications - many of them Open Access.

DTU Findit gives you access to hundreds of thousands of publications - many of them Open Access. This includes gold and hybrid Open Access articles available directly from journal websites, as well as peer-reviewed manuscripts (green Open Access) stored in institutional repositories like DTU Orbit.

Explore DTU Findit, DTU Orbit, or other platforms you find through Other Search Tools. (Always check whether the manuscript has undergone peer-review before using it!)

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Plan FAIR data and write a Data Management Plan

The FAIR principles form the basis for good data handling practices at DTU.

The FAIR principles form the basis for good data handling practices at DTU. The first step towards making your data FAIR is writing a Data Management Plan, but revise it as the project develops.

First, find your departmental guidelines for research data management at DTU Inside!

Then, practice FAIRification of data (with DTU examples).

Also, learn more about FAIR data and get help writing a DMP.

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Conducting your research

Publications
Research Data

Choose a journal/publisher

Before submitting your manuscript to a journal, check its scientific impact and reputation.

Publishing your research is a milestone - but choosing the right journal can make all the difference. To safeguard the integrity of DTU’s research community, DTU Library strongly encourages all researchers to consult Cabells before submitting their work.

Before submitting your manuscript, check the journal’s scientific impact and reputation. At DTU, journals indexed in Web of Science are highly estimated, but other metrics and impact systems are also available.

To explore Open Access options, use tools such as: DTU APC Discount, Open Policy Finder, DOAJ, Chronoshub or Journal Checker Tool and of course Cabells.

Other tools: Web of Science Master Journal List, Journal Impact Factor

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Keep your data safe

Be sure to store your data on systems that are backed-up

Be sure to store your data on systems that are backed-up and where access can be managed if data contain sensitive or confidential information. DTU provides platforms for storage and sharing data with collaborators.

Read about storage and backup at DTU

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Beware of predators

Publish with confidence: Use Cabells

DTU publications must be easily and freely available to the widest possible audience, therefore, Open Access should be considered in the journal selection process. To safeguard the integrity of DTU’s research community and avoid predatory journals, DTU Library strongly encourages all researchers to consult Cabells before submitting their work.

Be cautious. Predatory journals and conferences often present themselves as ideal Open Access platforms - but their real goal is profit, not quality. DTU Library has collected a range of tools to help you validate journals. Use them to ensure your research is published in reputable outlets: Cabells, Web of Science Master Journal List, Journal Impact Factor, Predatory journals, Think Check Submit, Think Check Attend

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Tools to support data creation and documentation

Several methods and tools can be used to document, structure and manage research data

Several methods and tools can be used to document, structure and manage research data, such as protocols, (electronic) laboratory notebooks or defined standards for metadata and file formats. Also, DTU instances of GitHub and GitLab are available. Find more information in our toolbox for data management.

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Cover the costs

Open Access comes in different forms - and costs.

Open Access comes in different forms — and costs. Gold and hybrid Open Access require payment, and the final published article is immediately and freely available on the publisher’s website. DTU Library offers reduced publishing costs in selected journals through institutional agreements. Check out your options for discount in gold and hybrid Open Access journals here: Open Access discount on APC. It is always the corresponding author who is responsible for the publication of the article and any related expenses.

For EU-funded projects, publications can be uploaded free of charge to the EU Open Research Platform. Green Open Access is a free alternative. Here, peer-reviewed manuscripts (post-prints) are deposited in institutional repositories like DTU Orbit and made publicly available after an embargo period. Check embargo policies via Open Policy Finder or the journal’s website.

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Prepare your data for publication

Open and FAIR data should be shared in open formats and with rich documentation.

Open and FAIR data should be shared in open formats and with rich documentation. You should use data and metadata standards to ensure correct and proper use and interpretation of the data and adhere to domain-specific ontologies to accurately describe concepts related to your data.

Read more about recommended formats, and documentation of data. Find generic and discipline-specific standards and ontologies.

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Publishing your research

Publications
Research Data

Choose an open license

Creative Common licenses work well for data, but not for software and code.

Creative Common licenses work well for data, but not for software and code. The legal advisers at DTU can help you choose a license.

Learn about CC licenses for data and how to make software FAIR

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Publish Open Access

Publish Open Access at reduced costs

DTU researchers can publish Open Access at reduced cost as part of DTU Library’s subscriptions - explore the list of included journals here: DTU APC Discount This applies to gold and hybrid Open Access journals, where the final published version of your article is made freely and immediately available on the journal’s website.

Prefer a no-cost option? You can also make your publications Open Access via DTU Orbit. Simply send the accepted manuscript (post-print) to DTU Orbit. DTU Library will handle the rest - ensuring your work is made openly available as quickly as possible and in line with publisher policies and embargo periods.

Learn all about publishing Open Access at DTU.

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Publish data and code

DTU researchers can publish data and code in DTU Data.

DTU researchers can publish data and code in our institutional repository, DTU Data, that integrates GitHub, GitLab and Bitbucket. You must seek legal advice before you publish software and code and make sure all contractual, legal and ethical obligations are fulfilled before you share any data.

Use DTU Data or find another data repository to publish your data. Also, check the requirements for software publication.

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Register your publication

DTU Orbit provides an overview of DTU’s publication output.

DTU Orbit provides an overview of DTU’s publication output. DTU Library handles the system, but it's the responsibility of the individual DTU researcher that his/her DTU publication list is correct and up-to-date. Check it from time to time and let the Library know if something is missing or if you have questions about the Open Access status of an individual Orbit record.

Learn about registration of research in DTU Orbit

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Register your data

Data sets with a DOI can be registered in DTU Orbit.

Data sets with a DOI can be registered in DTU Orbit. You can also import data sets to be displayed on your ORCiD profile.

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Monitor your Open Access output

In DTU Orbit, you can check if your publications are available for all to read.

In DTU Orbit, you can check if your publications are available for all to read (hint: look for the small Open Access icon in the individual DTU Orbit record). In addition, you can access your department’s or section’s Open Access figures via DTU Library’s publication statistics in Findit. If you want to assess DTU’s Open Access performance over the years and benchmark it against other Danish universities, check out the Open Access Indicator.

Tools: DTU Research Output Statistics, Danish Open Access Indicator

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Raise impact

Remember to cite the DOI of your data sets to increase visibility.

Remember to cite the DOI of your data sets to increase visibility. Your data can be shared and discussed in news and on social media - just like your research papers. DTU Data shows downloads, citations and Altmetrics for you published research.

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Long term preservation

Danish law requires that certain data are reported and delivered for long-term preservation.

Danish law requires that certain data are reported and delivered for long-term preservation at the National Archives. Long-term preservation means archiving longer than the required 5 years after publication and data have to be thoroughly documented and in an future-proofed open format.

Learn how DTU Data can secure your data for at least 10 years in our Guide to preservation in DTU Data.

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