GCRI · Legal
Research and Data Terms
The terms for research outputs, datasets, series, maps, models and instruments of therisk.global: open licences and attribution, the evidence class of every figure, the line between illustrative material and results, no warranty on data, and the protection of personal, sensitive and community data.
01Register
Research and Data Terms on the record.
The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation
- 01InstitutionThe Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI)
- 02SummaryThe document in brief
- 03RecordVersion 1.0, effective 20 October 2026
- 04Section 1Scope
- 05Section 2Open licences
- 06Section 3Attribution and citation
- 07Section 4Evidence classes and status labels
02Summary
The document in brief.
- Open licences: CC BY 4.0 for original material, CC0 1.0 for metadata; third-party licences prevail.
- Every figure carries an evidence class, a source and a time.
- Illustrative material is labelled and is never a result.
- Index values only from released editions; no warranty on data.
03Record
Version 1.0, effective 20 October 2026.
| Record | Value |
|---|---|
| Document | Research and Data Terms |
| Version | 1.0 |
| Effective date | 20 October 2026 |
| Last updated | 20 October 2026 |
| Publisher | The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI Canada) |
| Contact | contact@therisk.global |
04Section 1
Scope.
- 1.1 These Terms apply to the research outputs, datasets, series, indicators, maps, layers, models, instruments, digital twins and editions published on therisk.global and the platform sites published at addresses beginning with therisk.global/ (together, the Site) (together, Research Material).
- 1.2 Organisation-wide matters are governed by the documents GCRI Canada publishes on its main site: the Terms and Conditions of GCRI Canada. This document adds what is specific to the platform sites and does not repeat them.
05Section 2
Open licences.
- 2.1 Research Material created by GCRI Canada is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0) where the material says so. Descriptive metadata is dedicated to the public domain under CC0 1.0. Code is licensed under the licence stated in its repository.
- 2.2 Third-party datasets keep their provider's licence, which is stated beside the data with its source. Where a provider's licence does not allow redistribution, its data is shown for reading or linked at the provider, never redistributed, and any condition of the licence, such as a non-commercial or no-derivatives condition, is stated where the data appears.
- 2.3 A licence applies from the date the material is publicly released and cannot be withdrawn for material already released. Material that has no licence stated may be read and cited with attribution; any other reuse needs permission.
06Section 3
Attribution and citation.
- 3.1 Cite Research Material by title, publisher, version or edition, date, persistent identifier (a DOI, or a Unique Nexus Identifier (UNI) where one is given), licence and address. A suggested citation is given with the material where one exists.
- 3.2 Keep the credits of third-party data and imagery in every reuse, including in exported figures and derived datasets, and indicate any change made to the material.
- 3.3 Attribution does not suggest that GCRI Canada, a contributor or a data provider supports the person reusing the material or the use made of it.
07Section 4
Evidence classes and status labels.
- 4.1 Every figure, layer and dataset carries an evidence class that says what kind of number it is: observed, reported, published statistics, estimated, derived, modelled, scenario, a forecast issued by its provider, or expert judgement. It carries its source, its time and, where they are known, its method and uncertainty.
- 4.2 An evidence class describes the nature of a number, not its correctness. Gaps in evidence are stated, not filled, and a value that cannot be supported is withheld with the reason.
08Section 5
Illustrative material is not a result.
- 5.1 An illustrative model, a worked example, a simulated dataset, a scenario canvas, a teaching instrument or a compatibility profile built on simulated data is labelled as such. It uses example names and values and is not a record, a measurement, a finding or an assessment of any real place, system, organisation or person.
- 5.2 Illustrative material may not be cited, reused or presented as a result. A page reports a result only where it states the source, the method, the date and the uncertainty of the number.
- 5.3 Values of The Global Risks Index (NXS-GRX) are shown only from a released edition, cited with the edition and its identifier. Where no edition has been released, a page shows the method and the sources, not a value.
09Section 6
No warranty on data.
- 6.1 Research Material is provided as is and as available. Data may contain errors, gaps and delays, live feeds may be interrupted, and models carry the assumptions and uncertainty stated with them.
- 6.2 The authoritative version of a third-party dataset is the one its provider publishes. Users are responsible for judging whether Research Material is fit for their purpose; it must not be used for navigation, emergency response or any safety-critical or operational decision.
- 6.3 Research Material is not a forecast or a warning. It is not a rating, not a certification and not professional advice. The Disclaimers and Data Notices state the limits in full.
10Section 7
Personal, sensitive and community data.
- 7.1 Research Material is published only in a form that does not identify individuals. Personal information found in a contributed dataset is removed before publication.
- 7.2 The precise locations of critical infrastructure, sacred sites, threatened species and sensitive heritage, and security-sensitive detail, are withheld or generalised.
- 7.3 Data held by Indigenous peoples and local communities is governed by the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance and stays under the authority of the community that holds it. Data contributed by a national institution stays under that institution's control and terms; the publisher claims no ownership of it.
11Section 8
Research integrity.
- 8.1 Methods, sources and code are published with the material they produce, so that results can be reproduced and challenged. Funding and conflicts of interest are disclosed with the material they relate to.
- 8.2 Research that involves people follows the research-ethics review that the law and the participating institutions require. Errors are corrected in public under the Corrections and Right of Reply Policy.
12Section 9
Interfaces and bulk access.
- 9.1 Interfaces for machines are used within their documented limits and under the terms published with them. Keys are personal to the account to which they are issued and are not shared or resold.
13Section 10
Law and contact.
- 10.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules that would apply another law, without prejudice to any mandatory protection of the law of the country where a user lives.
- 10.2 Questions about Research Material and its licences go to contact@therisk.global.
14Document
Status of this document.
Prepared for review by legal counsel before adoption.
15Questions
Questions and answers.
Can I use a figure in a report or a paper?
Yes, under the licence stated on it, with the citation and the credits of any third-party data it contains. An illustrative figure must stay labelled as illustrative.
Why does a page show a method but no value?
Because no value is published until the evidence supports it. Index values appear only from a released edition.
The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation
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Legal
Legal documents.
Maps, data and figures on this site are shown for context and general information. They are not advice, forecasts or warnings; the limits of the information are set out in the Disclaimers and Data Notices.
Not for profit
Our articles, maps and twins are free to read and free to republish. Readers and partners keep it that way.
Who funds us
GCRI is a not-for-profit institution. To ask who funds a piece of work, use contact@therisk.global.
Independence
Editors and the expert reviewers named on each article decide what we publish. Funders and partners do not review or approve articles before publication.
Licence
Articles: CC BY 4.0. Figures, maps, twins and data: CC BY 4.0. Other uses: ask through contact@therisk.global.