Data Principles

The Data Governance Council has endorsed the following data principles for the University.

Principle statements:

The University undertakes data policies, processes, and practices that reflect the following values:

• We have an enterprise view: Data are an enterprise asset, owned by the University. Data collection, documentation, and management activities should consider the whole university and aim for solutions that meet the broadest possible needs and handle exceptions separately.
• We support discoverability: Data should be made readily discoverable and accessible along with information on permissions, usage, and restrictions.
• We endorse sharing: In order to maximize usefulness and value of critical assets, data should be made as broadly available as possible subject to legal and regulatory restrictions and following security and privacy policies and standards. The default for sharing information should be “unless there is a good reason not to” rather than “only if you must.”
• We benefit from standards: Standard definitions, naming conventions, and metadata specifications should be used whenever practicable to maximize interoperability, promote consistent use, and provide comparability across data sources.
• We stipulate user rights and responsibilities: In return for data access and support, users agree to undergo necessary training, follow established policies and protocols, and acknowledge that access does not imply unrestricted use. Data users, which includes faculty and staff, are responsible for proper management of data, adherence to rules for usage, and meeting requirements of external authorities, such as regulatory bodies or research granting agencies.
• We promote good data management: Data management responsibilities should be documented as part of relevant job descriptions and appropriate resources be made available to ensure data stewardship. Good data hygiene, including data quality management, is an on-going process and not a one-time project.