When must research data be reported to the Danish National Archives?
This according to Guidance on the Ministerial Order on the Registration of Digital Research Data generated by government authorities. Reporting allows Rigsarkivet to assess whether the data should be preserved for future use. Reporting does not automatically mean that the data must be transferred to Rigsarkivet.
General rule
Digital research data created through the course of research using a scientific method, as well as the associated metadata and documentation explaining the nature of the data, how it was generated and its overall purpose must be reported unless one of the exemptions below applies. The rules cover research carried out as part of the institution's activities, irrespective of the source of funding.
Research data do NOT need to be reported when:
- Already reported: The data have previously been reported to Rigsarkivet and no new data have been added.
- Below PhD level: The project is below PhD level, or the leading researcher is not employed in a scientific position. Data from approved PhD projects must be reported.
- Pilot study: The data are from a pilot project intended to test research design, methods or feasibility before a primary project. The subsequent primary project remains subject to the reporting requirement.
- Private background data: The data are background data provided by a private company, institution or association. New research data subsequently created by the public research institution may still be subject to reporting.
- Background data in co-financed research: Existing background data contributed by an external partner in a co-financed project are exempt. Data generated by the public research team itself are not covered by this exemption merely because the project is co-financed.
- Repeatable experiments or simulations: The data result from experiments or simulations that can be recreated and are not uniquely bound to time, place or environment. Rigsarkivet notes that human experiments are generally considered non-repeatable and should therefore be reported.
- Administrative register linkage: The data are created solely by linking existing administrative registers. If the register data are enriched with new, unique research data, such as questionnaire data, the exemption no longer covers those new research data.
- Complete dataset already covered by legal deposit: The entire dataset has been published in material covered by the Danish Legal Deposit Act. Publication of an article based on the data is not sufficient; the exemption concerns the dataset in its entirety.
- Literary texts: The data consists exclusively of reproductions of literary texts already covered by legal deposit and have not been enriched with new research data.
- Existing public archives: The data are based exclusively on archival records already transferred, or due to be transferred, to a public archive, without the addition of unique new research data.
- Cultural heritage collections: The data are based on collections held by state cultural heritage institutions and have not been enriched with new research data or new coding that adds value to the dataset.
Quick check
See the Reporting of Digital Research Data - Decision flowchart (PDF-file) from Rigsarkivet.
When to report
Normally, data should be reported before the research project ends, when the dataset is in its final version. Continuous data collections, such as cohorts or long-term monitoring, should be reported when data collection begins.