Digital Turcology and Cultural Heritage (DTCH) regards the research outputs published or made accessible through the platform as resources that should be presented in an open, responsible, citable, documented and reusable manner. This Data Policy sets out the core principles that apply to research data and digital scholarly outputs published, to be published or made accessible through DTCH.
Scope
This Data Policy applies to research outputs published through DTCH, made available for download, or made accessible through links, referrals or project descriptions. These outputs may include:
— Datasets and structured research data.
— Bibliographic lists, catalogues and source indexes.
— Text corpora, transcriptions, transliterations and translation notes.
— Visual, audio, map-based or object-based cultural heritage materials.
— Research notes, methodological descriptions, project documents and version notes.
— Code, scripts, digital tools, schemas, models or technical documentation.
— Supplementary materials for teaching, presentations and scholarly use.
Where appropriate, these outputs are presented with source information, preparation method, conditions of use, licence status, citation details and version information, depending on the nature of the material.
Data Sharing Principles
DTCH supports the sharing of research outputs in accessible, understandable and academically traceable forms. The level of open access is determined with regard to copyright, personal data, sensitive cultural heritage elements, third-party licences, community sensitivities and ethical principles. As a result of this assessment, some materials may be made openly accessible, while others may be subject to restricted access, stated conditions of use or referral to the relevant source.
Data sharing through DTCH is guided by the following principles:
— Research outputs are presented with orderly, verifiable and explanatory information.
— Where appropriate, the FAIR data principles — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable — are taken into account.
— Data sources, production processes and methodological choices are documented.
— Source information, citation details, licence status and reuse conditions are stated on the relevant page, file or project description.
— Protection and access limits are observed for materials containing personal data, sensitive content, copyright restrictions or third-party rights.
— The scope, method and limitations of the data are explained.
— Feedback is taken into account for the correction of errors, completion of missing information and updating of data.
Conditions of Reuse
Unless different conditions are specified for a particular material, research outputs published through DTCH may be used for scholarly research, teaching, citation, review and critical evaluation. Reuse must comply with the licence, citation and usage conditions stated for the relevant material.
Users reusing DTCH resources are expected to observe the following principles:
— Cite the source clearly, accurately and traceably.
— Preserve the context of the data or material.
— Make visible the scholarly labour of DTCH and the relevant researchers.
— Comply with third-party rights, copyright restrictions and licence conditions.
— Use materials containing personal data, sensitive content or culturally sensitive elements in accordance with ethical principles.
— Clearly indicate any selection, editing, transformation, simplification or remodelling carried out on the data.
— Indicate, as far as possible, the version, date or source context on which the reused data are based.
Reuse of data made available through DTCH does not grant the user ownership rights over the relevant material. The right of reuse applies within the stated licence and usage conditions and in accordance with principles of scholarly ethics.
Citation and Attribution
When datasets, texts, images, tables, research notes, code, technical documents or other scholarly outputs from DTCH are used, appropriate citation should be provided. Where possible, citation information should include:
— Author, editor, compiler or institutional name.
— Title of the material.
— Platform name.
— Date of publication, update or version.
— Persistent link, URL or identifier.
— Date of access.
If a specific citation format is provided for a dataset, project output or digital resource, users should follow that format. Where version information is available, the version used should also be stated.
Source Work and Edition Citation in Digital Editions
Digital editions published through DTCH clearly distinguish between the source work, witness, archival record or relevant cultural heritage material and the digital scholarly output prepared by the platform. For this reason, users of digital editions are expected to cite both the source work and the edition layer separately.
Citation of the source work may include the title of the work, author, historical context, witness information, library, archive, collection, shelfmark, folio or page information. Citation of the digital edition is formed through the edition title, compiler or editor name, platform name, date of publication or update, version information and access link.
Transcription, transliteration, annotation, encoding, metadata, editorial notes, terminological explanations, variant records, methodological descriptions and digital arrangement layers are regarded as distinct scholarly labour and digital research outputs. Users of digital editions should make this editorial and digital production visible alongside the source work.
The rights status of the source work, manuscript image, archival record, modern publication, translation, visual material or any other third-party element is subject to the conditions set by the relevant institution, archive, library, publisher or rights holder. Publication of a digital edition through DTCH does not override the licence and usage conditions of the relevant rights holder for source or third-party materials.
Licence Matrix and Usage Rights
The applicable licence or usage condition for each material published through DTCH is stated on the relevant page, file, data package or project description. Original research outputs prepared by DTCH and considered suitable for open licensing may be made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0), unless otherwise stated for the relevant material.
DTCH adopts a clear and traceable licensing approach according to material type:
— Original scholarly content, research notes, guides, teaching materials, methodological descriptions and documentation outputs may, where appropriate, be made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0).
— Openly shareable datasets, tables, controlled lists, bibliographic records, terminological resources and machine-reusable structured data may, depending on the nature of the material, use CC BY 4.0 or CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication.
— Metadata, basic descriptive records and some forms of machine-reusable structured data may, where appropriate, use CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication.
— For code, scripts, software components, executable digital tools or technical application files, the open-source software licence specified in the relevant project file applies rather than a Creative Commons licence. Where appropriate, such outputs may use the MIT Licence, Apache Licence 2.0 or another open-source software licence determined for the project.
— For visual materials, manuscript images, archival documents, third-party sources and content whose rights status is determined outside DTCH, the licence and usage conditions of the relevant rights holder apply.
— For materials containing personal data, sensitive cultural heritage elements, community sensitivities or copyright restrictions, restricted access, stated conditions of use, referral to the relevant source or non-publication may be applied instead of open access.
Materials under CC BY 4.0 may be shared, used, adapted and rearranged, provided that appropriate attribution is given, source information is preserved, changes are indicated and the relevant licence conditions are followed.
Materials outside the scope of an open licence should be regarded as all rights reserved. Republishing, reproducing, transferring at scale, using for commercial purposes or redistributing such materials on another platform requires permission from DTCH or the relevant rights holder.
The terms of use for third-party texts, images, data, software, archival records or other externally sourced materials included in DTCH are determined by the relevant source, archive, institution, publisher or rights holder. The inclusion of such materials on the platform does not mean that they are covered by CC BY 4.0, CC0 1.0 or any other open licence specified by DTCH.
Alignment with FAIR Principles
The FAIR approach is understood within DTCH as a principle of documentation and sharing that keeps source context and scholarly interpretation visible, while strengthening the findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability of data.
In line with this approach:
— Findability refers to presenting research outputs with clear titles, descriptive information, source information, project descriptions, citation details and, where possible, persistent links or identifiers.
— Accessibility refers to clearly stating the access conditions of research outputs, including whether they are openly accessible, subject to restricted access, provided through referral, or not made available, with the reasons for these decisions explained in a clear and understandable manner.
— Interoperability refers to making data usable across different research environments through appropriate formats, metadata structures, controlled vocabularies, terminological explanations, document schemas, encoding principles and technical documentation.
— Reusability refers to presenting data together with information on source, context, method, licence, citation, versioning and limitations, so that it can be responsibly, traceably and academically re-evaluated in other research contexts.
DTCH approaches FAIR principles together with open science, the visibility of scholarly labour, data ethics, source transparency and responsibility towards cultural heritage.
Data Quality and Limitations
DTCH takes care to prepare published research outputs in a reliable, documented and academically usable form. Historical sources, manuscripts, archival documents, transcriptions, bibliographic records, digitisation processes and cultural heritage data may contain gaps, uncertainties, variants, interpretative differences or technical limitations that require scholarly assessment.
For this reason, data published through the platform should be evaluated in relation to their source, method and evidential basis. Users are expected to use the data critically in line with their own research questions and source contexts.
If users identify errors, omissions, incorrect citations, broken links, outdated information or ethical concerns, they may report them through DTCH's communication channels.
Personal and Sensitive Data
DTCH takes care to protect personal data, sensitive content and culturally sensitive materials in research outputs. Materials containing personal data are assessed before publication with regard to data protection, ethical responsibility, source status, copyright conditions and research purpose.
As a result of this assessment, personal data may be anonymised, access may be restricted, certain information may be removed or the relevant material may not be published.
In materials involving cultural heritage, community memory, local knowledge, religious sensitivity, historical sensitivity or issues of representation, contextual accuracy and ethical care are observed. Users reusing such data are expected to act in accordance with scholarly responsibility, source sensitivity, contextual awareness and cultural respect.
Bulk Download and Automated Data Collection
Data published through DTCH may be used within reasonable limits for personal scholarly research and teaching purposes. Prior permission is required for bulk downloading, automated data extraction, scraping, systematic copying or database reproduction that may affect site performance.
Such activities are carried out with regard to the technical continuity of the platform, copyright and licence conditions, third-party rights and source context.
DTCH may restrict automated access, heavy traffic or systematic data extraction activities in order to protect the technical infrastructure and ensure responsible use of data.
Corrections, Feedback and Updates
DTCH regards the improvement of research outputs, correction of errors and completion of missing information as a natural part of scholarly production. Users may submit reports concerning data errors, missing source information, incorrect citations, broken links, licence uncertainties or ethical concerns through DTCH's communication channels.
Relevant data, explanations, citation details, licence notes, usage conditions or version information may be updated following review. In the case of significant changes, the update date, version information or change note is stated on the relevant page.
Responsibility
DTCH applies editorial and technical care to present research outputs in a reliable, documented and academically usable form. Users are responsible for evaluating DTCH resources within their own research contexts and in accordance with the relevant licence and usage conditions.
Any interpretation, analysis, publication, decision, application or derivative work arising from the use of DTCH resources is the responsibility of the relevant user or researcher. Users should take source context and ethical responsibilities into account, especially when working with historical, cultural, personal or sensitive materials.
Updates
This Data Policy may be updated in response to changes in DTCH's research activities, data sharing practices, technical infrastructure, licensing choices, publication principles or relevant legal and ethical standards. The updated text takes effect from the date on which it is published on this page.
Last updated: 31 May 2026
Contact: dtch@digitalturcologych.com