Policy for Institutional Data Repository & Publications Directory

 

CMH Lahore Medical College & Institute of Dentistry (CMH LMC & IOD) is committed to develop a culture of transparency and accessibility in academic research. This policy establishes the framework for managing research data and publications generated by researchers associated with the institution. By creating a centralized Institutional Data Repository (IDR) and Publications Directory, CMH LMC & IOD aims to ensure that research outputs are accessible, preserved and appropriately utilized. This policy is aligned with the institution's broader goals of promoting research excellence and enhancing collaboration between researchers.

 

Objectives

• Encourage access to research data and publications to maximize the impact of research
• Build intra- and inter-institutional collaboration by providing researchers with access to data and published resources.
• Ensure long-term preservation and integrity of research data and publications.

 

Scope

This policy applies to all faculty members and students affiliated with CMH LMC & IOD who are conducting research projects approved by the L-ORIC (Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization) and the Ethical Review Committee (ERC).

 

Data Submission

Researchers are required to submit their research data to L-ORIC at the time of submitting their manuscript to a journal and/or immediately following paper publication.

Data submissions must be complete and include raw data, processed data and any supplementary files necessary to understand and replicate the research findings.

Data should be submitted in widely accepted formats (e.g., .csv, .xlsx, .txt) and must include a data dictionary or metadata to describe the variables, methods and coding used.

L-ORIC will maintain a centralized repository of all submitted data for a minimum of three years following submission and may also upload the research data to open general repositories such as Figshare to enhance accessibility and visibility.

Researchers are also required to store their data for at least three years or longer in accordance with national and internal ethics guidelines to ensure compliance with best practices in data management and integrity.

Researchers are also encouraged to submit pre-prints and pre-peer-reviewed versions of their manuscripts on platforms such as MedRxiv or equivalent open-access repositories.

 

Publication Submission

Upon publication of a research paper, the authors are required to submit a PDF version of their published article along with its web link to L-ORIC.

Authors are encouraged to ensure that their publications are linked to recognized global academic databases such as ORCID, ResearchGate, Google Scholar and other similar platforms to enhance visibility and increase citation metrics.

 

Ethical Considerations

All data submissions must comply with ethical standards, including obtaining informed consent (where applicable), ensuring patient confidentiality and following ethical research practices as per institutional and national regulations.

Data involving human subjects must be anonymized to protect privacy, in accordance with the Ethical Review Committee (ERC) guidelines.

 

Data Access and Use

Research data and published papers stored in the Institutional Data Repository (IDR) and Publications Directory respectively will be accessible to CMH LMC & IOD researchers and collaborators.

Data access will be governed by ethical considerations, including confidentiality, patient privacy (where applicable) and proprietary rights of the researchers.

Use of the data may require appropriate permissions with clear guidelines on citation and acknowledgment.

Responsibilities of Researchers

Researchers are responsible for ensuring that all data submitted is accurate and ethically collected. Researchers are expected to submit all associated datasets, including negative or null results. Researchers must agree to license their data under open-access agreements that allow for its re-use while safeguarding sensitive or proprietary information, as appropriate.

 

Eligibility for Institutional Research Support

Only researchers who comply with the data-sharing and publication submission requirements outlined in this policy will be eligible to apply for institutional research support initiatives, including funding, awards and other research-related resources.

 

Implementation and Monitoring

The implementation and monitoring of this policy will be overseen by L-ORIC in collaboration with the Ethical Review Committee (ERC).