Migratory Shorebird Project (MSP) – Data Request Policy and Form

Steering Committee on behalf of the MSP Network Policy on Use and Publication of data stored in the California Avian Data Center shorebird warehouse as part of the MSP.
Approved: June 2013
Updated: October 2023

The Migratory Shorebird Project (hereafter referred to as Project) policy is to encourage partners, volunteers, and others outside the Project to publish important findings, based in whole or in part on Project data, in appropriate publications. It is also Project policy that appropriate credit given to all partnering organizations for their contributions to the publication of such findings.

To use any Project data individuals proposing to use the data must go through the following approval process.

One Time Only Use of Project Data
Unless otherwise arranged, any Project data is provided to researchers/authors with the clear understanding that it will be used for one specific purpose only (e.g. proposed publication, graduate thesis). If the researchers/authors wish to use the same data for a purpose different from that of the original request, the researchers/authors must apply for permission. No data provided by Project can be distributed beyond the researchers/authors requesting the data without specific approval.

Approval Process
Before any Project data are distributed to researchers/authors, the Steering Committee of the Project must receive a 1-2 page written proposal outlining the nature and topic of the research accompanied by a completed Data Request and Release Form and Publication Agreement (attached), with Part 1 completed by the applicant. If the proposal is acceptable, Parts 2 and 3 of the Data Request and Release Form and Publication Agreement will be completed and signed by the Project steering committee chair (see contact information below), and the form will be returned to the applicant for signature. Upon receipt of the form signed by the applicant and payment of any fee, the data in question will be promptly released.

Approval by Partners
Before any data collected by or for a Project partner for the Project can be released, approval from the partner must be obtained. In the same manner, release of data managed by the Project may require the approval of other institutions when a Project is done in partnership. This is a matter of courtesy in all Projects, and a matter of contractual obligation in many. The Project will undertake, either directly or through the appropriate staff person, the necessary steps to obtain partner approval.
Personal Information. -- The Project does not release names and contact information of volunteers who collected the data.

Fee for Data
The Project will normally charge a fee of $75 per hour, $500 per day or $1500 per week to extract and assemble data, but will consider waiving this fee, in part or in full, for partners, institutions and not-for-profit researchers/authors. All decisions concerning fees rest with the Steering Committee of the Project. Fees (if any) will be clearly stated on the Data Request and Release Form and Publication Agreement. Fees would be paid to Point Blue Conservation Science since they house and manage Project data.

Authorship and Acknowledgements
Persons planning a publication must discuss the manuscript and authorship with the appropriate Project staff (Steering Committee, and if applicable the Senior Scientist or Project Coordinator), before they begin work on the manuscript. This will help avoid misunderstandings about commitments, authorship and any restrictions that may be imposed by a Project partner. The concern is that all involved in the original Project and in the preparation of the manuscript for publication be treated fairly.

If a request for data includes proposed research with significant Project contributions, then agreement on the role of involved Project members, joint authorship, and order of authors must be reached before the data are released. In cases of conflict over authorship or order of authorship at any time, each party may present written arguments (maximum of 2 typed pages) to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will refer the matter to two scientists from the Project that are not involved in the manuscript. Their determination of authors and sequence of authors will be evaluated based on contributions in each of the five basic areas of the research investigation: conception, design, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript preparation, and the parties agree that their decision is final.

The source(s) of funding for the collection of the data will be acknowledged, but the person securing funding will not be an author unless s/he is an active participant in the research investigation leading to the manuscript. The researchers/authors agree to acknowledge the Project (as well as the clients or partners when applicable) in all relevant publications using the statement provided in Part 3 of the data request form. Please note that the statement will depend on which dataset(s) have been requested, in order to ensure that Project partners are properly acknowledged. Researchers/authors wishing to use a different statement than the one provided must submit it for approval to the Project Steering Committee before submission of the manuscript for publication, and preferably at the time of the data request. Project review of manuscripts (or parts thereof) before submission to journals is requested as a courtesy. Non-project authors should understand that treatment of Project data ownership is a sensitive issue.

Copyright
The Project retains the copyright on all data provided to researchers/authors, unless the copyright has been legally transferred to a client.

Revocation of Privileges
Any researcher/author not abiding by this policy or the terms of the Data Request and Release Form and
Publication Agreement may forfeit any future access to Project data.

Technical Considerations
The Project will generally provide data in Microsoft Access, Excel, comma-delimited text files or ESRI shapefiles (in the case of map layers). If you are requesting data within a specific study area, you should either provide the name of the survey sites you need or a shapefile delimiting your area.