At Cambridge University Press, we believe that text and data mining is a powerful research tool with incredible potential. The use of machines and algorithms allow for analysis of information at scales, scopes, and levels of complexity that have previously been impossible to achieve. We want to help reduce barriers to this kind of research where we can, and we know from our research communities that legal uncertainty about TDM, such as when it is permitted and for what purposes, can be one such barrier.

Our Terms of Use on Cambridge Core have now been updated to make text and data mining (TDM) simpler for researchers. Whereas our old Terms permitted text and data mining only for non-commercial research purposes, our new Terms permit anyone with lawful access to Cambridge Core content to carry out TDM on that content for any purpose.

We’ve made this change in line with our commitment to open research, and our support for Open Access to and re-use of research outputs.

While exceptions to copyright law exist in some jurisdictions, and allow some people to carry out TDM for some purposes, the grey areas surrounding these exceptions can have a chilling effect on research. Terms like “non-commercial” have differing definitions in different jurisdictions, creating unequal barriers to the use of TDM for researchers around the world. We’ve therefore removed such terminology from our Terms to provide clarity to researchers, and to support the use of TDM as a research tool.

The new Terms can be found here, and we’ve put together a series of FAQs about our position on TDM and some practical considerations for researchers. If you have any other questions, or if you would like to get in touch about access to content for a TDM project, please contact openresearch@cambridge.org.