FAQ

Authors

Affiliations

Max Planck Institute for Human Development

Tobias Bengfort

RDI

Josefine Blunk

RDI

Neele Engelmann

CHM

Thomas Feg

SCT

Stefan Herzog

ARC

Maike Kleemeyer

RDI

Sina Schwarze

LIP

Sebastian Nix

RDI

Aaron Peikert

LIP

Ilse Pit

ARC

Penelope Tilsley

CEN

1 Scope

To whom do the guidelines apply?

The guidelines apply to everyone publishing under the Institute’s affiliation (see Scope).

When do I have to comply with the guidelines?

You are recommended to comply to the newest version of the guidelines that are available at the date you publish something under the Institute’s affiliation (see Scope). It is up to you to decide whether you want to frontload or backload the effort but we recommend the former. The term “publish” corresponds here to the conventions of scientific communication of the targeted scientific disciplines. This may include, for example, but by no means exclusively, publications on preprint servers, (reviewed) articles in scientific journals, conference papers, talks, research reports, contributions to edited volumes, or scientific monographs.

I can’t possibly comply with the guidelines, what should I do?

The guidelines are the default. Diverging from them for reasons that arise from the requirements of a specific research project or collaboration (e.g., third-party funding) is, of course, possible. In these cases the consent of the head of the respective organizational unit (e.g. director, group leader) should be obtained in advance.

I am worried that openly sharing my particular data or analysis code early on might give me a competitive disadvantage. How can I avoid that?

Publicly sharing your data or analysis code can actually strengthen your competitive position, as publication allows you to stake a claim to your work. However, if your fears of being scooped still outweigh the benefits, keep in mind two things: First, it is always possible to diverge from the guidelines when justified by the specific needs of your project.
Second, while the guidelines ask you to make code or data publicly available once you publish, it is up to researchers to decide when and how they publish their research.
The main expectation is that any publication affiliated with MPIB is comprehensive in terms of the underlying materials.

What parts of my research are regulated by the guidelines?

Only those parts that have contributed to something you publish under the Institute’s affiliation (see Scope).

2 Contribution

Why should I contribute to the guidelines?

Depending on your contribution, you will be listed as an author or contributor. Given that Open Science is becoming increasingly relevant in promotion and hiring procedures, including an OS-relevant author- or contributorship in your CV will probably not hurt. Apart from that, the guidelines will apply to all of us! Every contribution is needed to shape them to their maximal potential, which ultimately benefits us all.

How can I contribute to the guidelines?

There are several ways to contribute to the guidelines: If you are a member of the Institute, you can raise an issue directly via this GitLab project (see How to raise an issue or How to suggest a change for explanatory videos). Alternatively, you can approach your center’s guideline ambassador. You can also send an email to openscience@mpib-berlin.mpg.de.

How can I contribute to the development of OS and RDM at the Institute?

The Research Data Management & Open Science Working Group deals with the development of institute-wide measures regarding Open Science and research data management. Its members come from different fields (IT, Research Data & Information, research centers and groups), are at different career stages, and have diverse levels of expertise. Meetings take place about once every three months and new members are always welcome. If you work at our Institute and are interested in (joining) the working group, please get in touch with us.

3 Guideline ambassadors

How can I become a guideline ambassador?

Guideline ambassadors are nominated within their center or research group (cf. Guideline Ambassadors). In order to become an ambassador, you should get in touch with your center’s director or group leader.

What is expected of a guideline ambassador?

Guideline ambassadors act as an interface between the members of the centers (including their respective directors) and the working group as the editorial team of the guidelines. As such, they need to be familiar with the content of the guidelines, to be able to answer questions but also to decide at what point they take issues raised into the working group to advocate for the needs of their center with regard to the guidelines A certain OS and/or RDM affinity is obviously desirable but not necessary.

What are the incentives for being a guideline ambassador?

Given that Open Science is becoming increasingly relevant in promotion and hiring procedures, including an OS ambassadorship in your CV will probably not hurt.

4 Research Data Management

I am panicking about the implications of the guideline! Do I have to start my data management all over again?

Get in touch with the RDM Team. We will certainly find suitable solutions for research projects, that were already started before the guidelines came into effect.

I cannot find my specific data type in the guideline and the default data structure does not work.

Get in touch with the RDM Team. There may be data types that were simply not on our radar but we will certainly find a solution!

What is the difference between source, readable, and tidy data?

Source data is the primary, unprocessed, unorganized data as it is coming from whatever acquisition method you use. While source data are a valuable resource, they often come in proprietary file formats that cannot easily be accessed. To make them openly accessible, they should be converted into readable data, i.e., simply preserved in an open-source representation. It is the same difference as described by two vs. three star data. To arrive at tidy data, some processing steps are usually performed to make the data usable, e.g., removing identifiable information, filtering relevant columns, reorganizing the data. Along with the sidecar, tidy data are the basis for all analyses performed.

Why are you torturing us with predefined data structures?

What may seem like torture at first glimpse will actually turn out to be an incredible relief in the long run. Having common data structures will facilitate collaboration (also with your future self) and automation. You will hopefully experience the benefits when exchanging analysis scripts even for complex pipelines that easily run on your colleagues’ data, when intuitively navigating your colleagues’ data folders, etc.

Do I have to publish all my data openly, i.e., anyone can access them without restrictions?

Ideally, data are published without restrictions as this enables their broadest reuse. However, there may exist legal or ethical reasons that prohibit unrestricted access, e.g., if personal data are included that cannot be anonymized. In these cases data must not be published openly! Instead, restricted access should be considered (cf. Open Data).

What is the difference between publishing data and making them publicly accessible?

Publishing data refers to the unrestricted dissemination of data. In contrast, making data publicly accessible “does not necessarily mean ‘open’ or ‘free’. Rather, it implies that one should provide the exact conditions under which the data are accessible.” (cf. the ‘A’ in FAIR).

5 Open access

Am I prohibited from publishing in hybrid journals from the publishers Wiley, Elsevier and Springer Nature?

Researchers have the freedom to choose their publication outlet. Only financing the publication fee (APC) for Open Access in otherwise closed access (so called “hybrid”) journals that are not part of tranformative agreements with Max Planck Society is discouraged. Max Planck Society participates in the nationwide agreements with Wiley, Elsevier and Springer Nature and therefore Open Access publication is no problem (provided all other funding requirements have been met). In any case, the option of “Green Open Access” (or: secondary Open Access publication), hence, the article is originally published closed access in the journal and e.g. a postprint is published on an institutional (MPG.PuRe) or disciplinary repository is (in almost in all cases) available as a free of charge alternative to fullfill the guideline.