You can control who can access your Synapse data in two ways. First, sharing settings determine who can access content and at what level. Sharing settings are the list of people or teams and the permissions those groups have with respect to a dataset. You can use sharing settings to control who can view, edit, download, or delete data.
In addition to sharing settings, the second way to control who can access your data is by applying Conditions for Use. These restrictions define how users who have permission to download your data may use it. For example, you can specify that users who have permission to view and download a data file (as set by sharing settings) can only use the data for their research if they fulfill certain requirements like IRB approval (as set by Conditions of Use).
All content in Synapse has sharing settings, but not all content has Conditions for Use. For example, open data has a sharing setting that allows any registered user on Synapse to download it, and it does not have Conditions for Use attached to it. To learn more, visit the Sharing Settings and Conditions for Use pages.
Data Tiers
As a Synapse data contributor, you decide how your data is shared and accessed using a combination of sharing settings and Conditions for Use. As a data user, you must be aware of the steps necessary to access and use shared data. Generally, data in Synapse can be categorized in 4 tiers:
Private data: only available to yourself or registered users who you specify.
Controlled data: (also called controlled access data, or controlled use data) available to registered users that fulfill specific requirements for data access, such as submitting an Intended Data Use statement, obtaining IRB approval, or other prerequisites.
Open data: (also called open access data, or open use data) available for all registered Synapse users without Conditions for Use.
Public data: available for anyone on the web.
Private Data
de-emphasize? Shared with you and/or members of your research team?
Controlled Data
Controlled data requires appropriate Conditions for Use, can only be downloaded and used by authorized Synapse users, and is not transferable unless explicitly specified otherwise. In other words, you cannot share controlled data with other collaborators; each Synapse user wishing to access controlled data must individually agree to the conditions for use to access that data. To learn more about Conditions for Use and how to apply them to your data, see Conditions for Use.
Important: Controlled Data may not be redistributed.
Examples of controlled data include:
Data with minimal risks of re-identifying research participants
Genetic sequence or genotype data from living individuals
Data from “vulnerable” populations as defined using OHRP guidelines
Data generated with restrictions or requirements for use as outlined in informed consents or legal agreements
General terms and conditions
Open Data
Synapse open data is data that does not require Conditions for Use. Open data is subject to general terms and conditions, and data users must have a registered Synapse account. Typically, open data is:
Data from model organisms, species, or strains
Non-biological data, like data used for the calibration of instruments
Human data that are:
Publicly available elsewhere
De-identified and non-sensitive, with no known sharing or use restrictions
Self-contributed and unambiguously consented for open data sharing and use
Public Data
Public data is similar to open data except it is available for anonymous access. In other words, anyone on the web can view and download it without creating a Synapse account.