uOttawa Dataverse Deposit Guidelines

Create a draft dataset 

Once you are ready to deposit your data in the Dataverse, select the Add Data button on the right-hand side of the page and then New Dataset.

Enter metadata  

You can get information about the various metadata fields by placing your pointer on the field names. Some types of metadata you must provide include:  

• Title: Enter a title for your dataset. If your dataset is used in a publication, you can enter the title of the publication and select Add “Replication Data for” to Title.
• Author: Enter your name as you use it in your publications. We recommend you add your affiliation as well. For entering co-authors, select the plus button. We also recommend you add your ORCID.
• Contact: Enter a contact email address. Also add the name of the contact person or research group or institution.
• Description: If you need to add paragraphs, add the HTML tags <p> and </p> around each paragraph. If relevant, enter information about the data collection/methodology.
• Keyword: Enter information such as the subject area(s) (e.g., morphology or digital humanities) and the statistical method(s). Enter each keyword  separately. To enter more keywords, select the plus button. Vocabulary and Vocabulary URL are not mandatory and can be left empty.
• Related Publication: If the files you are depositing are the background data for a publication, include a reference to the publication here.
• Depositor and Deposit Date: These fields are pre-filled. Do not change them. Deposit Date refers to the date when the dataset first was uploaded to the repository. 

Please note: If your manuscript has been submitted for review but has not yet been accepted, don’t list the name of the journal or publisher. Instead, just enter something like “Submitted for review.”

Specify data licence and attribution 

The default licence for reuse of data archived in  uOttawa Dataverse is Creative Commons 0 (CC0). You can change this licence in the “Dataset Template” section.

If you’re not sure which licence to use, email repository staff.  

Upload data files  

• Please note that uOttawa Dataverse has a file size limit of 5GB. However, there is no limit to the number of individual files in a folder. If your files are too large, try zipping your folder or email repository staff to discuss your options.
• Please note that for tabular files (e.g., XLSX, SAV, CSV, etc.), it’s recommended that the file not be larger than 500MB.
• To keep the folder structure of your dataset, pack the folders and single files into a container file (.zip).
• Select Select Files to Add and select your files from your computer or server space. You can select multiple files using the Shift + arrow keys or Ctrl + mouse click. You can also upload files from Dropbox or drag and drop your files in the designated area.
• When you have uploaded all the files in your dataset, select Save Dataset. A draft of your dataset will be saved.

Enter more metadata 

After creating a dataset draft, you should enter more information about the dataset. This will increase the chances of others being able to discover your data and interpret and reuse it correctly. Select the Edit Dataset button on the upper right-hand side of your dataset page.

If possible, fill out the following additional fields:  

• Language: Select the language you have used to describe your data.
• Contributor: Credit those who have contributed to the dataset, including those who won’t be listed as authors. In the Type list, you can choose what role they have had (e.g., Data Collector).
• Grant Information: Use the funder’s full name.
• Time Period Covered: The time period the data is from or about.
• Date of Collection: When the data was collected or generated.
• Kind of Data:  Hover your mouse over the question mark to the right of the field name, and you will see some suggestions about data types (e.g., survey data, experimental data, observation data).
• Related Material: Material related to the dataset.
• Related Datasets: Other datasets related to the current dataset. This can be your own or others' datasets. If available, use a full reference, including the persistent identifier (e.g., DOI).
• Data Sources: If you have not generated or collected the data yourself, enter information here about your sources. This can include an archive, a corpus or a website from which you downloaded the data.

File embargo 

You can restrict access to (some of) your files for a period. During this embargo period the selected files will not be accessible, but the metadata about your dataset will be visible. Please note that restrictions on files need to be removed manually in Dataverse. To configure an embargo,

• Select the relevant files and navigate to Edit Files > Embargo.
• In the pop-up window, type in the end-date using the YYYY-MM-DD format or use the calendar widget to select the end-date of the embargo and enter a short explanation for the embargo in the text box.
• Select Save Changes to set the embargo.

Once the dataset has been published, the embargo period is displayed in the file metadata and in the file access menu. The embargo cannot be changed after the dataset is published. If the embargo date needs to be changed prior to publishing the dataset, please contact the repository team to request the change.

Publish your dataset  

• Once you have entered all the necessary metadata and uploaded your files, select Submit for Review. You will receive notification that your dataset has been submitted.
• A curator will review your dataset and if necessary, inform you about possible changes to be done before publication. The dataset might be returned to you to make these changes. Once the curator has approved your submission, you will be notified, and the dataset will be published and searchable as open access.
• If needed, you can modify metadata or data files after publication. Note that previous versions are not deleted, but archived as open access.
• Please note: Once you publish a dataset, you can’t delete it. However, in certain cases, the dataset can be “deaccessed,” which means that the data files no longer are openly available. But information about the dataset (author, title, description etc.) is still visible.

Once your dataset has been deposited and published, it can be cited as a reference using the information in the blue box on your dataset page. Your dataset is also assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). This enables it to be easily found and increase its traceability.

You can also grant editors or research partners access to your unpublished dataset.