UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI)
The UK Concordat on Open Research Data (28 July 2016), a voluntary, multi-stakeholder statement of ten principles for making research data open wherever possible within legal, ethical and cost limits. Researchers open data within defined periods and by publication in citeable form; employers provide infrastructure, guidance and recognition; funders support the costs; restrictions are justified case by case with managed access for personal data and protocols for commercial and third-party data; creators get reasonable first use set by disciplinary norms; users respect original terms and cite data; data management plans precede projects; curation uses rich metadata, open standards and persistent repositories; publication data has DOIs and is kept 10 years; all parties build data skills and review progress. Expectations, not mandates, unless a funder or institution adopts them. UKRI's draft research data policy (April 2025) is not yet final.
UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) is a compliance framework from United Kingdom with 6 domains and 20 controls. The largest domains are Principles 2 to 4: restrictions, costs and first use – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) (5 controls), Principles 6 and 7: data management and curation – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) (4 controls), Principle 1: openness as the default – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) (3 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.
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Framework Domains (6)
Principle 1: openness as the default – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P1.E | Employers foster an open data environment |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P1.F | Funders support open data and its costs |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P1.R | Researchers make data open by default |
Principle 5: using, citing and recognising data – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P5.1 | Using others' data within its legal and ethical terms |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P5.2 | Citing data formally |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P5.3 | Recognising data as a research output |
Principle 8: data supporting publications – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P8.1 | Publication data accessible and citeable by publication date |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P8.2 | Retention and free access |
Principles 2 to 4: restrictions, costs and first use – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P2.1 | Restrictions justified case by case |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P2.2 | Governance for data about individuals |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P2.3 | Commercial, collaborator and third-party constraints |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P3 | Respecting the costs of open data |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P4 | Reasonable right of first use |
Principles 6 and 7: data management and curation – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P6.1 | Data management planned at the outset |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P6.2 | Infrastructure and guidance for data management |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P7.1 | Curation, metadata and discoverability |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P7.2 | Formats and software |
Principles 9 and 10: skills and review – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P10 | Regular reviews of progress |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P9.1 | Developing data skills |
| uk-concordat-on-open-research-data-ukri::P9.2 | Careers for data specialists |
What is UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) and who does it apply to?
UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) is a compliance framework from United Kingdom with 6 domains and 20 controls. The UK Concordat on Open Research Data (28 July 2016), a voluntary, multi-stakeholder statement of ten principles for making research data open wherever possible within legal, ethical and cost limits. Researchers open data within defined periods and by publication in citeable form; employers provide infrastructure, guidance and recognition; funders support the costs; restrictions are justified case by case with managed access for personal data and protocols for commercial and third-party data; creators get reasonable first use set by disciplinary norms; users respect original terms and cite data; data management plans precede projects; curation uses rich metadata, open standards and persistent repositories; publication data has DOIs and is kept 10 years; all parties build data skills and review progress. Expectations, not mandates, unless a funder or institution adopts them. UKRI's draft research data policy (April 2025) is not yet final. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
What does UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) actually require?
UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) has 20 controls organised across 6 domains. The largest domains are Principles 2 to 4: restrictions, costs and first use – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) (5 controls), Principles 6 and 7: data management and curation – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) (4 controls), Principle 1: openness as the default – UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) (3 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
If I already comply with another framework, how much of UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) do I already cover?
UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) does not currently have cross-framework mappings in our system. Check back as we continuously expand our mapping database.
How do I implement UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI)?
Start your UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about UK Concordat on Open Research Data (UKRI) requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 20 controls and track your progress.
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