Kyoto University
Support for Research Data Management and Sharing

Appropriately managing and preserving research data gathered and produced by research activities and sharing such data for further utilization equates to retaining and increasing the value of the data. By doing so, we will be able to achieve the above-mentioned mission and contribute to the development of academic research in a wide range of fields and harmonious coexistence within the human and ecological community on this planet.

"Kyoto University Policy on Research Data Management and Sharing"

This site provides information on the status of research data, the obligations of researchers, and the types of support offered by Kyoto University.

What is Research Data Management?

The term Research Data Management refers to the “means and methods by which information used or generated by a research project is organized, structured, preserved, and managed.” More specifically, it refers to the clarification and implementation of the following:

  • Formulation of a Data Management Plan (DMP)
  • Routine handling of information during research
  • Long-term post-research data handling

In recent years, an increasing number of research funding organizations have been requiring the submission of a DMP when applying for research funding. Beginning from FY2024, the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) Program will also require submission of a DMP when applying for grants. Below is a summary of information on Research Data Management.

How to Share Research Data

If you belong to Kyoto University, you can share your research data via the Kyoto University Research Information Repository (KURENAI).

The following also provides information on how to select a data repository other than KURENAI when sharing research data.

In recent years, an increasing number of research funding agencies and academic journals have been requiring open access to the research data on which research papers are based.
There are two reasons for sharing research data. One is to ensure research transparency, which is related to research integrity, and the other is to promote academic research through the use of reusable data. Both show great promise in promoting open science.

FAQ

Click HERE to view the FAQ on Research Data Management.

What is Research Data?

While the term “research data” is used in a variety of different contexts, here we are introducing the concept of classifying “research data” in the contexts of “Research Integrity” and “Research Data Management” in accordance with “Kyoto University Policy on Research Data Management and Sharing” and other Kyoto University regulations.

Within the context of Research Integrity, research data refers to the “research materials which are the grounds of presented research discovery. ”1 Conversely, within the context of Research Data Management, research data refers to the “the recorded information, both digital and non-digital, gathered or produced by the researchers of Kyoto University in the process of their research activities .”2 Under these classifications, the scope within which “research data” is handled differs between the contexts of Research Integrity and Research Data Management. Research data within the context of Research Integrity accounts for only a portion of all research data handled within the larger context of Research Data Management.

In neither context is it considered “necessary for all research data to be shared.” Furthermore, while it is necessary to properly manage research data, “proper management” does not entail that all research data must be preserved indefinitely.
It is important to distinguish between data to be shared and data to keep closed, to specify a preservation period for each, to ensure appropriate handling, and to clarify who is responsible.
Please also be sure to read the sections on "What is Research Data Management?" and "Research Integrity".

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  1. Matters ruled for the Preservation and Disclosure of Research Data as defined in Article 7- 2 of the Regulations regarding Promoting Research Integrity of Kyoto UniversityResearch integrity rules & reporting
  2. Kyoto University Policy on Research Data Management and Sharing

Reference : Supplementary explanation about the policy(HTML)(PDF

Research Integrity

As explained under “What is Research Data?” above, the scope of research data differs between the two contexts of “Data Research Management” and “Research Integrity.”
Research data within the context of Research Integrity refers to “research materials (e.g., documents, numerical data, images) which are the grounds of presented research discovery,” and this classification accounts for a portion of all research data handled within the larger context of Research Data Management. According to University Regulations1 2, this refers to research data “that must be retained using a proper storage method for a certain period of time (in principle, at least 10 years following the presentation of research discovery) and disclosed as necessary.” This is explained in an easy-to-understand manner in the brochure titled “Research Data Preservation for Responsible Research”3. Appropriate Research Data Management can also be considered a necessary step in ensuring Research Integrity.
Below is a summary of the Research Integrity efforts established by Kyoto University.

  1. Regulations on Promoting Research Integrity, etc. at Kyoto University
  2. Matters ruled for the Preservation and Disclosure of Research Data as defined in Article 7- 2 of the Regulations regarding Promoting Research Integrity of Kyoto University
  3. Research Data Preservation for Responsible Research【brochure】

Operation of this Website

This website is operated by the Working Group for the Promotion of Research Data Management and Sharing for the purpose of supporting the management and sharing of research data. This Working Group was established to promote Research Data Management and Sharing based on “Kyoto University Policy on Research Data Management and Sharing”, formulated on March 19, 2020.
Due to the large number of issues relating to research data, multiple departments involved with research data work collaborate to address these issues.
Please feel free to inquire in the event of any problems regarding research data.

For Inquiries

Please contact the Working Group for the Promotion of Research Data Management and Sharing, Research Data Management Subcommittee, Research Information Management Committee
rdm-wg [at] mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp