Unpublished Research Data from Government Researchers
Data sets and research outputs produced in the course of government research but never shared or made available outside of the initial research. In particular, the risk classification applies to research data under government embargo, restrictions due to sensitivities, classification issues, and/or materials suppressed for ideological reasons.
Examples
Data sets or research outputs produced for agencies that have closed or have had funding withdrawn from research initiatives; research data from government agencies no longer active
Hazards
Lack of access to archival services; sudden or unanticipated closure; loss of implicit knowledge from destabilized or demoralized staff; encryption; uncertainty over IPR or the presence of orphaned works
Out of BandMitigations
Archival responsibility well developed; documentation; published through research channels
Bit List History
Added to list: 2019Last Review
2023 Review
This entry was added in 2019 under ‘Unpublished Research Data from US Government Researchers’. It has significant overlaps with other entries in the research outputs group but was set as a standalone entry to draw attention to two realities: 1. Research outputs are not simply a matter for academic institutions, and that government is, in fact, a major producer of research data; and 2. Political instability and threats to the continuity of government services are a significant preservation risk. The 2019 Jury noted that while it specifically related to the US government context, it did not mean that other jurisdictions are immune from political instability, and commented that politically inconvenient research outputs face particular and immediate threats of which the digital preservation community should be cognizant. No 2020 trend towards increased or decreased risk was identified. The 2021 Jury agreed with concerns raised by the 2019 assessment but recommended the broader applicability should be more explicit. The entry title and description were changed to broaden and include governments across national and international contexts. The 2021 Jury added that with the changes, the risk profile will range and depend on the political system, the political change and the measures in place to save and reuse data from disbanded research projects; in other words, there may be instances where the unpublished research data in one country may fall under the Vulnerable classification. The 2022 Taskforce agreed with this 2021 assessment with no change to trend.
The 2023 Council agreed with the Critically Endangered classification with risks on the same basis as before (‘No change’ to trend) and recommended inviting additional review from an expert in this area for the next review. A further recommendation was made to consider whether it should be an individual entry or instead be incorporated as an example under the ‘Unpublished Research Data’ entry.
2024 Interim Review
These risks remain on the same basis as before, with no significant trend towards even greater or reduced risk (‘No change’ to trend).