October 11,2012

TEAMS created a database to host the enormous amount of scientific information obtained and this database is made available to the public. A basic policy on the management of data and samples, which are the fundamentals of the database, is decided as follows:

1. Roles of The Participating Institutes

Regarding handling of data obtained in the research program, participating institutes play the following roles.
The investigating institutes obtain, store, and use the data and make them open access through our site and publish the results.
The data management institute collects and stores data and metadata, investigation plans, and outlines of the results and makes them open access through our site.

2. Property

Data and samples obtained in the research program are the property of the respective investigating institutes. However, if an investigating institute recommissions another body to obtain data or samples, the property and handling of the data or samples should be decided by the investigating institute and the other body in advance.

3. Submission

The investigating institutes have to submit an investigation plan before the implementation of the investigation and an investigation report after implementation, to the data management institute.
The investigating institutes have to submit, to the data management institute, data and metadata obtained in all investigations and observations after corrections or processing, if necessary, to make them available to a third party.

4. Storage

The data and metadata submitted have to be under the control of the data management institute.
Samples have to be stored by the investigating institutes, except where the samples are completely consumed by analysis. Metadata associated with the samples have to be submitted to the data management institute.

5. Disclosure

The data management institute has to disclose an investigation plan on the website before the implementation of the investigation.
The data management institute has to disclose an investigation report on the website after the implementation of the investigation.
The data management institute has to disclose the metadata on the website immediately and has to disclose the data as soon as the preparation for disclosure is completed.
When an investigating institute discloses data on the website independently, it has to notify the data management institute of the means of disclosure, and the data management institute has to disclose a link to the data on the website.
If special consideration is required for the disclosure of data, relevant institutes have to discuss and determine the handling of the data. Regarding offline data, the data management institute has to disclose the metadata on the website and provide the data.
Regarding samples, the data management institute has to disclose the metadata on the website.
Relevant institutes have to actively promote effective use and circulation of the data and the metadata.

6. Outline of Results

When the investigating institutes publish the results obtained in the research program, they have to notify the data management institute of the outline of the results, and the data management institute has to disclose this information on the website.

7. Intellectual Property

Handling of intellectual property using the data or samples obtained in the research program should be pursuant to the relevant policies and regulations of the investigating institute that has obtained the data or samples.

8. Period of Validity

This policy will be valid for the period the research program is implemented.
After the termination of the research program, handling of the data and samples should be deliberated by the relevant institutes in consideration of long-term archives of the data.

9. Others

Regarding matters that are not determined in this policy and instances to which this policy cannot be applicable, the relevant institutes should discuss the handling of these matters and the TEAMS research committee should determine the handling of these matters.

(1)　Investigating institutes:

Institutes that implement Projects 1–3.

(2)　Data management institute:

an institute that implements Project 4.

(3)　Data:

Data means various types of information obtained through investigation, research and media in which the information is recorded. The information includes measured or observed values of measurement subjects obtained by in situ observation or remote sensing of various real phenomena and their corrected values.
Data also include values obtained by analysis of samples, images (including movies, still images, and pictures) taken by various types of cameras, drawings, and attribute information required for values to have meaning as data, such as the name of observation subjects and units of measurement.

(4)　Metadata:

A set of information required for the management and use of the data and samples, such as: what the data or samples are; when, where, who, and how the data or samples were obtained; and accuracy of the data or samples.

(5)　Samples:

Specimens obtained through investigation and research of organisms, sediments, rocks, seawater, etc.

(6)　Offline data:

Data unavailable through the website (because of, for example, the data size is too large)

(7)　Investigation plan:

An outline of a plan of investigation to include what, when, and where researchers are going to investigate.

(8)　Investigation report:

An outline of an investigation performed, to include what was investigated, when and where the investigation was performed, and who performed the investigation.

(9)　Outline of the results:

An outline of information about the publication of results obtained by the research program, such as, publication of research papers, presentations at academic conferences, outreach activities, etc.