Frequently Asked Questions¶

Does the ExELang Consortium create a new legal basis for data access?

No. Data access rights are governed entirely by the corpus collector's existing IRB, agreement with their scientific archive and the archive's access policies. The consortium defines the permissible scope of use for data that is already accessible under those policies. IRBs and legal departments should assess the archive agreement, not the consortium agreement, as the primary legal instrument.

Can a corpus collector withdraw from the consortium?

Yes, at any time and without requiring justification. Withdrawal is effected by revoking custodian access through the relevant archive. Since the custodians will not be notified of this automatically, we encourage corpus collectors withdrawing their dataset to inform the custodians by email, and provide instructions regarding any papers in progress.

My dataset is already in HomeBank, Databrary, or the Language Archive. Can I join the ExELang Consortium?

At this time, the ExELang Consortium is not accepting new members. The consortium was formed around datasets that were part of the ExELang ERC project. If you are interested in joining in the future, please contact the custodians.

What if a corpus collector does not wish to deposit in any of the recognized archives?

Archive deposit in HomeBank, Databrary, or the Language Archive is a non-negotiable prerequisite, as it provides the legal and ethical framework required for responsible data sharing.

Are the custodians responsible for correcting errors in corpus collector datasets?

No. Corpus collectors retain full editorial control over their datasets and are solely responsible for their accuracy and integrity. Custodians do not modify corpus collector datasets.

Can a corpus collector require co-authorship on all publications using their data?

The baseline consortium agreement does not require co-authorship for model development and benchmarking publications. However, a corpus collector may negotiate a bilateral agreement with the custodians specifying that they be included as co-author on all or specified publications. Such an agreement supplements the baseline terms and is binding only on the parties to that agreement.

Does joining the ExELang Consortium require joining EL1000 and/or using ELSI?

No. The three structures are independent. A corpus collector may join any combination of them, or none. Data contributed to the ExELang Consortium does not automatically enter the EL1000 dataset. Also, ELSI is not used for transferring data from the corpus collector to the custodians, nor for transferring automated annotations back to the corpus collectors. At the time of writing, members of the ExELang team were studying the possibility of creating a non-profit company based on ELSI, which may entail changes in the relationship between ExELang Consortium, ELSI and EL1000.

What is the long-term status of the consortium after the ERC project ends?

The ExELang Consortium is designed to be self-sustaining beyond the ERC project end. The custodians' roles are not contingent on project funding.

Who should a third party contact to request access to a corpus collector's dataset?

Third parties should contact the corpus collector directly and follow through with an access request through the relevant scientific archive. Custodians are not authorized to handle or approve third-party access requests.