Create from template Open data

It is government policy that data from public institutions should be open, accessible, and free of charge. The Natural Science Institute of Iceland is working to make its data openly accessible. A large portion of the Institute’s data is published through a Map Portal, registered in a Metadata portal, and made available through Download services. Data are also accessible via international data portals such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the European Plate Observing System (EPOS).

Efforts are made to ensure that scientific articles authored by Institute staff are published in open access. Several projects carried out at the Institute receive public funding, and according to Act No. 3/2003 on Public Support for Scientific Research, the results of research funded by public grants must be published in open access.

Use of data

The open data of the Natural Science Institute of Iceland is published under the CC BY 4.0 – Attribution 4.0 International Deed in accordance with Icelandic law on the reuse of public sector information no. 45/2018.

When using open data from the Natural Science Institute of Iceland under the CC BY license, the original author and the name of the dataset must be credited along with the license terms. For further guidance, refer to the instructions on the page Recommended practices for attribution or use the input form Open Attribution Builder.

An example of attribution: "IS 50V Vatnafar" by Náttúrufræðistofnun is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Disclaimers on data

The Natural Science Institute of Iceland assumes no responsibility for whether its data are suitable for the specific purposes intended by the user. All data are published as is, either as stored in the Institute’s databases or as presented in updated map viewers.

The quality of the data varies depending on their origin, including differences in accuracy and reliability. The Institute does not accept responsibility for any consequences that may result from the use of the data. The Institute is not liable for any direct or indirect damages arising from the use of the data or derived data, except to the extent covered by Act No. 25/1991 on Product Liability. Otherwise, the Institute disclaims liability to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Due to actions taken by Icelandic authorities to combat off-road driving and to restrict or prohibit traffic in certain areas, the Natural Science Institute of Iceland emphasizes that users of published data are themselves responsible for monitoring official announcements regarding the closure of roads and tracks. Such governmental measures always take precedence over any road or track information found in the Institute’s databases.