Policy/guidelines for embargo or restrict

[Emma Walton]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for examples of repositories/installations with policies or guidelines on when embargoes or file restrictions should be applied. I’ve found plenty of instructions on how to implement these features, but very little on why or under what conditions they are appropriate.

Our repository DataverseNO is intended for open research data, so we want to avoid unnecessary use of restricted access or embargoes. Thus, we feel like we need clear guidelines to ensure these features are used only when justified.

• Restrict: Makes one or more files permanently unavailable. This conflicts with the principle of open data. Ideally, I feel like this feature should be disabled for DataverseNO, and data requiring permanent restriction should be deposited in an archive designed for controlled access.

• Embargo: Temporarily restricts access to files, with a fixed release date that cannot easily be changed. This provides transparency and avoids extra steps for users compared to “access on request.” Common use cases include:

  • Intellectual property protection (time needed for exploitation or IP registration)
  • Data linked to a publication under review (though most use private URLs for reviewers, we have experienced one or two cases of deponents who want to give early visibility of the study without releasing results).

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this—particularly from a policy or guidelines perspective?