How to Prepare Your Data for Submission to the IUScholarWorks Repository and the SDA
The IUScholarWorks repository is home to a diverse collection of research data from across the disciplines. Our repository and the SDA service provide cloud storage solutions for research of any size. There is no "one size fits all" solution to data management, however, so consider these instructions a set of guidelines rather than gospel, and feel free to contact us at iuswdata@indiana.edu with further questions.
To get started, follow these steps:
- Determine whether your data is suitable for storage in IUScholarWorks or the SDA: Visit the Data Content Guidelines to learn more.
- Define the contents and properties of your data files: Take a look at the data files that you intend to deposit, and note the file formats, names, and creators for each in a plain text README file. If your files are from the same research project, you should note the differences between each file. (Was the data collected on different dates? In different areas? From different subjects? Determine what makes each dataset distinct, and record it.) Also identify any files that may contain sensitive information. You'll use this information in later steps. When writing your README file, imagine that you are writing for a user 20 years in the future, who may not know much about your research (or even your discipline). This will help you to describe your data in the clearest possible way.
- Address privacy concerns: Data that is subject to IRB regulations or HIPAA, or is of an otherwise sensitive nature should be deposited in the researcher's SDA account, not in the IUScholarWorks repository. It is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure that all research data they wish to make publicly available is de-identified. For more information on what constitutes sensitive data, consult the Knowledge Base.
- Organize your files: Once you have identified which files you plan to preserve and store, think about how you can organize them for a) ease of upload and b) understandability by other researchers. For example, if your project is large and has many datasets collected over a period of years, you may wish to create several separate compressed (zipped) files for upload, within each is nested other folders that contain interrelated instrumentation data files, images, and data dictionaries. Alternatively, for smaller research projects, you may wish to simply create one zipped file for upload that includes a small amount of clearly labeled, interrelated documents, images, or spreadsheets.
- Decide if you need an embargo: If you do not wish to make your data openly available right now, but expect that you will want to make it Open Access within the next five years, you can index your data in the IUScholarWorks repository with an embargo.
- Choose the right storage option(s): The size of your zipped files, in addition to the considerations above, will determine where you may store your files.
- If your data is less than 150 MB in size and can be made Open Access now or in the near future, you should upload it directly to the IUScholarWorks repository.
- If your data is more than 150 MB in size and can be made Open Access now or in the near future, you should upload it directly to your personal SDA account and then contact us to have it transferred and indexed in the IUScholarWorks repository.
- If your data cannot be made Open Access at all, regardless of its size, you should upload it to your personal SDA account.
Please note that even for a single study, a combination of storage options may be needed to address the data storage considerations above. There are no restrictions on the number or types of storage options you may choose to suit your needs.
- Apply for your SDA or IUScholarWorks repository account(s)
- SDA: Visit the Knowledge Base to learn more about applying for a personal or group/departmental SDA account.
- IUScholarWorks repository: Send an email to iuswdata@indiana.edu that includes the following information:
- Your name, IU email address, and if you are the creator of the files you wish to deposit. (If you are not the creator, please describe your role.)
- The community or collection to which you wish to deposit files—if it does not already exist, please describe the community/collection you would like to create.
You will receive an email within 1 business day with your login information and instructions on how to begin depositing.
- Choose a license for your data: When you license your data, you are setting limits on how it may be used by future researchers. For example, you may wish to allow anyone to use your data however they want to, so long as they credit you. Or, you might restrict others' use of your data to non-commercial purposes. Indiana University recommends that you license your data using either a CC-0 or ODC-BY license, which will remove all restrictions on data use or will require that others credit you as the data creator, respectively. For more information, visit the Digital Curation Centre's "How to License Research Data" guide, Open Definition's list of recommended data licenses, or contact IU Legal Counsel.
- Deposit your data:
- For open data less than 150 MB in size: Login to IUScholarWorks and choose the "Start a New Submission." Following the instructions provided on the IUScholarWorks platform, upload, provide metadata, describe your data's license, and grant the IUScholarWorks distribution license for your dataset(s). When entering metadata, be sure to include the information collected during Step 2 (Define the contents and properties of your data files). Once your data has been deposited, an "item record" (data webpage) will be created and it will be reviewed by our staff for adherence to repository guidelines. Upon approval, you will receive an email confirmation containing a link to your item record on IUScholarWorks.
- For open data more than 150 MB in size: Follow the instructions above to create an item record but do not upload your data file. Instead, email Stacy Konkiel, E-Science Librarian, with your item record accession number (See Figure 1). We'll contact you with further instructions on how to upload your data to a special SDA account, and will link your item record to the file stored on the SDA.
Figure 1: The Accession Number can be found in the URL after ".../2022/"
- For "dark" data of any size: Follow the instructions available on the Knowledge Base: "At IU, how do I access the SDA?"
If you have any questions or concerns during the course of submitting your data, contact:
Bloomington
Stacy Konkiel
E-Science Librarian
IUScholarWorks
iuswdata@indiana.edu
812-856-5295
Indianapolis
Heather Coates
Digital Scholarship and Data Management Librarian
University Library
dataserv@iupui.edu
317-278-7125
IU East
Matt Dilworth
Coordinator, Reference & Media Services
Campus Library
mdilwort@iue.edu
765-973-8279
IU Kokomo
Angie Thorpe
Digital User Experience Librarian
IU Kokomo Library
atthorpe@iuk.edu
765-455-9346
IU Northwest
Tim Sutherland
Director of Library Services
Indiana University Northwest Library
sutherla@iun.edu
219-980-6946
IU South Bend
Scott Opasik
Head of Access Support
IU South Bend Franklin D. Schurz Library
sopasik@iusb.edu
574-520-4446
IUPU Columbus
Emily Dill
Executive Director
University Library of Columbus
eadill@iupuc.edu
812-314-8712
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