Chinese government tightens hold on research data

The State Council of China has decreed that all researchers in the country must submit their data to a government database before publication.

China’s central government announced on 2 April that going forward, all research data must be collected in a centralised state repository, while also calling for open science and data sharing. The council’s notice states that the rule applies to all government-funded research, including data intended for future publication in international journals.

The Chinese government will provide storage and management facilities to ensure the security and integrity of the data, the notice says. Data will be made openly available to other researchers as long as there are no security or confidentiality considerations.