Lingnan Data Repository

Choosing a suitable license

Publishing data without a license creates ambiguity; hence, you should assign a license to your research data to inform potential users of what they are allowed to do with the data. By default, all datasets deposited in Lingnan Data Repository are assigned with the CC-BY license, in which users are allowed to reuse the datasets for any purpose as long as credit is given to the creator.

If you wish to change the license for your dataset, follow the steps below:

1. On the dataset page, click "Edit dataset" > "Terms"
2. Under "Dataset Terms" section, there are two license options you could choose from:
   • CC0: Allow data to be reused for any purpose and without any restrictions; credit is not required for the creator
   • CC-BY: Allow data to be reused for any purposes as long as credit is given to the creator
3. Alternatively, you could use "Custom Dataset Terms" to customize the licensing terms according to your specific requirements
   

Please see the examples below on how to customize the licensing terms:

• Dataset with custom data terms that restrict the distribution of the data outside of the Harvard Dataverse
• Dataset with custom data terms that restrict access and use of the data to members of the Harvard community and on-site users of Harvard's libraries

4. Remember to click "save changes" to save your edits

Guestbook

The Guestbook function allows you to collect data about who is downloading the files from your datasets. In Lingnan Data Repository, the default guestbook asks downloaders to provide their name, email, institution, and position. By enabling the default guestbook, you can easily gather this essential information about the users accessing your data. To enable the default guestbook, follow steps below:

1. On the dataset page, click "Edit dataset" > "Terms"
2. Scroll down and check the "Lingnan Data Repository - Default Guestbook" under the Guestbook section
3. Remember to click "Save changes" to save your edits

lightbulbCustomising Guestbook – The Library Research Support Team is glad to customize a guestbook for individual researchers. For more details, please contact us.