ORA: Oxford University Research Archive: How to deposit research data

Deposit of research data in ORA is made via Symplectic Elements - if you require a Symplectic Elements account, please contact symplectic@admin.ox.ac.uk, and for further guidance see https://libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/ora/Symplectic.

Symplectic Elements is a University system that holds details about staff research outputs (including research data) and is available to all University staff using the University Single Sign On (SSO).  It is the means of deposit of publications and datasets to ORA and, once deposited, ORA staff will review the metadata, publish the data, and assign a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) where requested.

To deposit research data in ORA, go to the Symplectic Elements homepage using your SSO and scroll down to ‘Research Outputs’, and then click ‘+ Add New’ in the bottom left-hand corner.  Then select ‘Dataset’ from the grid of different types of research output, and this will takes you to a 3-step process for completing the data form:

Step 1: to add a title (or search for a dataset you have already saved but not deposited);

Step 2: to complete the rest of the data form (please complete as much of this as you can, including the additional information toward the bottom of the form);

Step 3: link your record to specific funding.

Upon completion, click ‘Save’ and you will have the option to ‘Deposit’ (i.e. upload) the dataset and submit it for review in ORA.

NB: For larger deposits (single files over 2GB or multiple files totalling more than 5GB), we ask the depositor to create only a record using the self-deposit system but to contact the ORA team in order to arrange separate upload of the dataset.

NB: If you are looking to create only a record in ORA for data held elsewhere (i.e. you are not actually uploading a dataset), we ask that you upload a readme.txt file with a brief description of the data, even if you have already included a description in the record's metadata (some sort of file upload is required in order for the system to migrate records from Symplectic Elements to ORA).

For further information and user guides, please see the Symplectic Elements at Oxford webpages and/or the ORA Libguide webpage on using Symplectic Elements.

This checklist should help you with some of the things you'll need to consider before depositing data in ORA.

Have I checked permissions and rights?

Do you have all the rights to make your data available, or do you need permission from other rightsholders or project collaborators? Have you anonymised your data sufficiently, or obtained explicit consent from any data subjects whose identity could be revealed from the data (e.g. people interviewed in audio-visual form)?

Have I organised my data clearly?

Does your data have a clear and consistent file naming system? You can help other researchers to navigate and understand your data by grouping multiple files into structured folders, as appropriate. Your data should also form a coherent package, relating to a particular project or piece of research.

Each dataset deposited in ORA should form a coherent data collection or package. It may comprise many different elements (such as image files, a spreadsheet and associated documentation etc.) but should be readily understood as relating to a specific project, publication or piece of research.

This is important as each data package is assigned a descriptive catalogue record in ORA (by which it can be discovered and understood) and a DOI (if requested) by which it can be cited.

Unrelated data should not be deposited as part of the same dataset package, as separate pieces of research will require separate descriptions and citations.

Which file format(s) should I deposit?

We accept any file type for preservation in ORA, but you may wish to consider which formats will ensure the broadest possible accessibility by others, both now and in the future. To help future-proof your data you may wish to deposit more than one format of the same item.

For example, plain text files (such as .txt; .csv; .html; .xml) are both human and machine readable, and can be opened in any operating system by a wide range of applications, unlike some proprietary software formats.

Have I documented my data?

It's good practice when sharing data to include some explanatory information about your research methods, describing how, why and when your data were created (including whether you used any specific software to create, edit or process the files). You should also spell out any acronyms used, and explain the labels of any variables and values. If you wish you can include this as a separate file when you upload your data to ORA.

Have I nominated a data steward?

We recommend that you nominate someone outside your research project (e.g. the Head of your Department or Faculty) to act as a data steward. This ensures someone in the University can take on responsibility for your data beyond the lifespan of your project, and can help ORA staff with the ongoing curation of the data if you are not available.

Do I need an embargo?

You may require an embargo period depending on your agreement with your publisher or funding body, or if there are national security, legal, ethical or commercial constraints on the open release of the data.

When a dataset is embargoed in ORA, the associated metadata record is visible, but the filenames are not listed and the files cannot be viewed or downloaded. If necessary, both the data files and the descriptive record can be hidden from public view.

Single files of up to 2GB (or multiple files totalling up to 5GB) can be submitted via the self-deposit form, either as individual files or zipped folders.

To deposit individual files over 2GB in size (or multiple files over 5GB), please contact us for details of an alternative file transfer process.

Email us:
ora@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Different academic disciplines will produce data in many different formats. Good general advice on the best file formats for long-term preservation can be found at: