Policy for Data Sharing
LATEX Shelf Physical Oceanography Program
15 September 1992

The LATEX Shelf Physical Oceanography Program is a five-year study of
currents and processes on the Texas-Louisiana Shelf funded by the Minerals 
Management Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.  Data from this program 
will include the fruits of:  13 hydrographic cruises conducted quarterly with 
more than 100 CTD stations and along-track ADCP measurements on each 
cruise; current meter time series from more than 30 moorings; wave and sea
level measurements at 5 moorings; wind speed and direction from 8 moored 
buoys; tracks from 16 ARGOS drifters deployed on the shelf; and an archive of 
historical and collected data from the region.

Our policy of dissemination of new LATEX data is based on the following 
principles:  the stated policy of MMS is that publication of the data shall 
involve those scientists funded by the program; data are to be archived at 
NODC within 90 days after collection as provisional submissions; and data are 
subject to quality control throughout the program and are to be resubmitted to 
NODC as final submissions at the conclusion of the program.

When provisional LATEX data are submitted to NODC they will be labeled 
proprietary.  Access will be granted only with permission of the LATEX Shelf 
Data Management Office.

Those scientists wishing access to the provisional data fall into three 
categories:  1) those wishing access to entire data sets, 2) those wishing access 
to subsets for student projects, theses and dissertations, and 3) those 
scientists directing ancilliary projects on LATEX Shelf cruises who need specific 
data subsets to interpret their data.

Those in the first category are asked to negotiate a data sharing arrangement 
with Dr. Worth Nowlin, Program Manager for LATEX Shelf.  These agreements 
will ensure the proprietary rights of LATEX scientists and assure that 
provisional data are not published before rigorous quality control has been 
completed.  Data exchange agreements are welcome.

Those in the second and third categories will be granted access to subsets of 
the data if they agree that a) provisional data will not be published in the open 
literature without the approval of the Program Manager, b) copies of any 
dissertations, theses, or class projects be submitted to the LATEX data office, 
and c) in most cases, LATEX scientists be offered the chance to participate in 
the authorship of published papers based on these projects.

Data distributed under this policy will not be transferred to another 
investigator without approval of the Program Manager.

All recipients of LATEX Shelf data who wish to publish in journals any 
manuscripts, abstracts, or summaries that include such LATEX Shelf data 
prior to their final release to NODC must agree:  at least 45 days prior to the 
submittal to the journal editor, to provide the manuscript, abstract, or 
summary to the Program Manager who will provide the document to the MMS 
for review and comment, and to include an acknowledgment of support from 
MMS for the LATEX data collection and a disclaimer that the contents do not 
necessarily reflect the view or policies of the MMS and that mention of trade 
names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or 
recommendations for use by MMS.

Recipients must agree not to establish a claim to statutory copyright on any 
LATEX data provided.

Prospective data recipients will be required to agree in writing to this policy
before data are distributed.
