Rules of data use

These guidelines govern both the production and distribution of scientific data sets by the LHD project, and also use of the LHD data by the science community and general public, and are summarized below.

• Beginning no later than 6-months after the experiment, LHD instrument teams will generate definitive, scientifically useful data products and deliver to the repository server.
• Users should not use for scientific analysis or publication without express consent of the Project director and relevant Topical group (TG) leaders.

1. LHD experiment data products are open to all scientists and the public (Users).
2. There are no proprietary periods associated with any of the LHD experiment data in the repository server.
3. Users shall have timely access to the scientifically useful data and analysis tools that are equivalent to the level that the LHD group uses.
4. Users should contact the LHD project director, TG leaders and the relevant scientist of the instrument or modeling group early in an analysis project to consult on the appropriate use of instrument data or model results.
5. Users who wish to publish results derived from LHD data should directly involve the LHD topical group and/or Instrument Leads and team members as appropriate in the analysis and are encouraged to offer co-authorship. Co-authorship may be declined.
6. Users should heed the caveats of investigators as to the interpretation and limitations of data or model results. All important caveats should be included in the publication. Data name and shot numbers should also be specified.
7. Users should acknowledge the sources of data used in all publications, presentations, and reports. Appropriate acknowledgement to institutions, personnel, and funding agencies should be given.
8. Users should provide the LHD project leader and/or TG leader a copy of each manuscript that uses LHD experiment data upon submission of that manuscript for consideration of publication. Upon publication, the citation should be transmitted to the TG leader and any other providers of data.
9. Users should widely distribute, to interested parties, their conference abstracts, presentations, and publications.
10. Users should make tools of general utility and/or value-added data products widely available to the community, and to notify the LHD project leader or TG leaders of such utilities or products, having clearly labeled the product as being different from an original LHD group produced data product.