Usage considerations and ethical statement for users of the Fossil Record File Electronic Database

The New Zealand Fossil Record File (FRF) is a research database that is administered jointly by the Geological Society of New Zealand (GSNZ) and GNS Science on behalf of, and for the benefit of, all New Zealand Earth scientists. The electronic database is maintained by GNS Science. Registered users of the database¹ agree to accept the following conditions of use:

1. The database is to be used for bona fide research purposes only. The GSNZ and GNS Science do not regard fossils as commodities to be sold and will take all reasonable steps to prevent the FRF being used to support commercial exploitation of fossil localities.
2. Neither the GSNZ nor GNS Science accept any responsibility for the reliability or accuracy of data contained in the FRF. These data represent opinions of individual contributors and may be incomplete, incorrect, or obsolete.
3. Users who retrieve data from the FRF are also expected to contribute appropriate data; we intend to maintain the FRF for the benefit of all Earth scientists as a record of all known fossil localities in New Zealand.
4. Locality data and, where available, stratigraphic and sedimentologic data are open-file to all registered users. Summary paleontologic data may also be open-file.
5. Full paleontological data (faunal and floral lists, adopted age) may be open-file or may be protected for a specified period² by the originator(s) of the data. Users are encouraged to make all contributed data openly accessible.
6. The FRF should be acknowledged appropriately in all publications, reports and presentations that use locality data extracted from the database. The following acknowledgement format is recommended: "We acknowledge use of information contained in the New Zealand Fossil Record File".
7. In addition, use of open-file, paleontologic data must be duly acknowledged by the citation of author and date of authorship. For example, "Molluscs recorded from fossil localities Y13/f1 - Y13/f27 were identified by A. Boffin, GNS Science, in May 1976; the data were downloaded from the New Zealand Fossil Record File on 1st April, 2005". In situations where FRF data generated by one or a few paleontologists form a substantive part of a research project, then the user should invite the originator(s) to participate in the interpretation and publication of those data.

Notes:

1. Automatic lapse of user-registration after 2 years of inactivity.
2. Optional data embargo of up to 5 years, with an automated option to renew embargo.