Clarification Regarding Author Affiliations and Publication Eligibility for MIMIC-Based Studies

[Ziwei-Zheng-Serna]

Dear MIMIC Support Team,

I hope this message finds you well. I am a researcher currently planning a project using the MIMIC-IV dataset. I have reviewed the Data Use Agreement and the recent notices regarding access restrictions related to the U.S. Department of Justice Data Security Program.

I would like to confirm one specific point to ensure our study is fully compliant:

While I understand that certain regions (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau) may face access restrictions for controlled datasets, I would like to clarify the implications for academic publication.

My question is:

If the data access and processing workflow is fully compliant (i.e., the raw MIMIC data is hosted and processed within an approved institution located in a non-restricted region, and only derived results are shared), is there any restriction on the institutional affiliation or geographic location of the first author, co-authors, or corresponding author when publishing research results based on MIMIC?

More specifically:

Is it acceptable for the first author or corresponding author to be affiliated with an institution located in a region subject to access restrictions, provided they do not directly access or store the raw MIMIC data, and all analysis is conducted in a compliant computing environment managed by an eligible institution?

We want to ensure:

Full adherence to the Data Use Agreement,

No raw data transfer across restricted boundaries,

Transparent and auditable methodological documentation.

Any clarification or official guidance you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

We aim to proceed in a way that is fully compliant, review-ready, and responsible.

Thank you very much for your time and assistance.

Warm regards,

Zv