Researcher Intellectual Property Policy

This policy sets out the DPUK position on Intellectual Property (IP) within the context of DPUK studies. This in no way impacts the intellectual property rights that have been set out in the Data Deposit Agreement concerning cohort data.

Please note that this policy does not demand the creation of study-specific IP for DPUK studies, but guides situations where researcher, research group, or institution IP is to be used or created.

This policy also sets out the stipulations of use and ownership of derived variables as part of a DPUK study.

Study-based Intellectual Property

Study-based Intellectual Property (IP) is defined as intellectual property of a researcher or group of researchers that will be used or created for the purpose of carrying out research as part of a DPUK study. This can be expressions, scripts, algorithms, code or any other such analytic, statistical or development tool or method used in the methodology and action of a DPUK study, which should be highlighted at the appropriate stage of study application. In instances where there is intention to create algorithms, code, etc, such intention should be stated as part of the methodology even if the exact nature of the IP is yet to be determined.

Such IP will always remain the property of said researcher or research group and this will not change under the terms of a DPUK study.

Researchers wishing to use or create their own IP as part of a DPUK study are however requested that their IP is made available to the DPUK research community for use on future projects, in order to facilitate situations such as replication of study and general reuse for similar studies within the DPUK community. This will link to the DPUK Publications Policy.

Derived variables

Derived variables are defined within DPUK as being variables created by a researcher or research group as part of a DPUK study from original DPUK cohort data variables by using an expression. Such derived variables will always be owned by the data provider – in this case, DPUK cohorts or other data provider to a particular study – however, the intellectual property used (expression, script etc) will be owned by the researcher or study participant. Such expressions and scripts must be provided to the data provider when creating derived variables, usually to take place once a study has been completed. Persisted derived variables whose results are designed to form part of the original source data must also be fed back to the data provider. If a data provider or any other researcher uses the derived variables, expressions, scripts etc for their own future work, whether within DPUK or outside of DPUK, they are obligated to acknowledge the author of these in their future results and publications.