Frequently Asked Questions

1 - What is the LTsER Montado data policy?

The LTsER Montado data policy refers to data and information derived from research in the LTsER platform, totally or partially funded by LTER Portugal through FCT or by partner institutions (public or private, national or international) where a formal memorandum of understanding with LTER has been established. Policy includes: i) the sharing of LTsER data products, ii) user registration for accessing data, and the iii) licensing agreements specifying the conditions for data use.

2 - How to get access to the LTsER Montado datasets?

LTsER Montado plataform considers two data types: i) data to be released to the general public, and ii) data to be released to restricted audiences according to terms specified by the owners of the data (e.g., locations of rare or endangered species, data that are covered under prior licensing or copyright as e.g., satellite data). For i) you need to register and get your credentials to access data directly via the data portal, while for ii) the access to data is subject to requirements to provide contractual exchange of data between Site Data Providers, Network Data Providers, and Data Users. Other types of data include non-LTER data that was acquired for LTER research, student thesis data, or legacy data.

3 - When are my data going to be published in the LTSER Montado website?

According to the terms of the general data use agreement, data is released within 2 years from collection and no later than the publication of the main findings from the dataset.

4 - What do I need to do to publish my data?

You need to write to the LTsER montado data manager informing about your willingness to provide data to the platform, describing the data to be provided (e.g, type of data, location, sampling period, etc) and stating the data category in terms of use by others.

5 – My research was conducted at a location other than the LTsER Montado R&M Stations, but it concerns the montado ecossystem. Can I publish my data in the LTsER Montado Information System?

It depends on the location of your study area but most likely yes because the LTsER Montado Platform, besides its 6 research and monitoring (R&M) stations, includes a vast montado area in central and south Portugal (see limits in the LTsER Platform description).

6-How LTsER Montado collaborates with other institutions?

Collaboration with other institutions is fostered and established through a formal memorandum of understanding which defines the terms of the collaboration (e.g, data provision, products provision, funding for research on specific issues).

7- I conducted a study in one R&M station but I do not have any arrangement with the LTSER Montado Platform. Should I publish my data?

The decision is up to you but we strongly advise to establish such collaboration as the goal of LTsER Montado is to improve comparability of long-term ecological data from sites around the world, and facilitate exchange and preservation of these data.

8- Why do I need to access the data in DEIMS?

DEIMS is the International Ecological Information Management System associated to LTER networks and is a tool that provides a web client interface for several networks and projects including LTsER montado. It includes datasets, research/observation sites, bibliographic references and information regarding personnel, research topics and expertise.

9 - Why do I only have access to the metadata in DEIMS and this website?

Metadata, or the supporting documentation necessary to interpret a dataset, is essential to preserve data for potential reuse; in short it is data about data. Access to metadata is a first step of the LTsER Information System, informing about ecological data availability, while an open data sharing policy is not well established within the Montado scientific community.

10 - What can I do, if my questions in not answered?

Please write to LTsER coordinator.