FAQ
Here you can find frequently asked questions about data and sharing data via SND.
What is research data?
With research data, SND means digital material that may be used for scientific analyses, regardless of research field.
What is metadata?
Metadata are structured information used to describe and categorize digital information, in other words “data about data”. Metadata in the SND research data catalogue make it easier to find and understand the specific properties of a research material, and to describe, for instance, the collection methodology.
Why should I share the project data?
For several reasons. There is a growing demand for publicly funded research to be open, and an increasing number of scientific journals require that authors make the data that their analyses are based on accessible. Sharing research data benefits research as well as society. It increases transparency, enables new research, innovations, and use of data in fields beyond the research community. On an individual level, researchers can feel motivated by having their studies and datasets cited and made visible.
Who can share data via SND?
Data can be described and shared by anyone who represents a research principal, i.e., a public authority or a natural or legal person responsible for the research conducted in their remit. It is usually researchers employed at a higher education institution who take the initiative to and handle the data description and submission. The researcher does this as a representative for their principal.
Is there a fee for describing and sharing data via SND?
No, it's completely free of charge.
Which types of data can be made accessible in the SND research data catalogue?
Research data and materials that are used, or can be used, for scientific analysis in any research discipline can be made accessible. Here you can read more about sharing data with SND.
How do data end up in the SND research data catalogue?
In order to make data and metadata findable in the catalogue, we use the SND documentation system DORIS. In DORIS, you can manage and create new data descriptions in a web form. This form builds on international standards for metadata, meaning that the information you enter about a data material becomes structured and findable. To use DORIS, you have to log into My Pages on the SND website.
What is DORIS?
DORIS is a tool where researchers can publish research data and make them accessible. The system can be used throughout the entire process, from describing and publishing research data, to following and reviewing data requests. To use DORIS, you have to log into My Pages on the SND website.
What happens to the information I enter in the form in DORIS?
Metadata and data described and uploaded in DORIS are made accessible as an entry in the SND national research data catalogue. Before the entry is published, the information is reviewed and the principal investigator is always given an opportunity to read through and approve of the data description. The review is not an assessment of the scientific quality of the research data, but focused on the documentation of the data and data collection. Here you can read more about sharing data with SND.
Can I upload data files of any size?
Data and documentation files can be uploaded directly in the data description form in DORIS. At present, you can only upload files up to a maximum of 500MB in size. If you want to share data files that are larger, please contact us at snd@gu.se, and one of our staff will advise you on how to transfer the files.
What is the best file format for uploading data in the SND form?
SND recommends file formats that are open (non-proprietary), well-documented, and commonly used. This will ensure that data are, as far as possible, reusable over time. We prefer that data are uploaded in a format suitable for long-term preservation, but will assist in finding a suitable format and to convert files into other formats, if needed.
Read more about recommended file formats:
Choosing a file format
Guides for best practice in research data management
Can SND accept data that contain personal data?
At present, SND can only accept data which have been anonymized (de-identified), with the exception of data from researchers at the University of Gothenburg. For HEIs and research institutions that have established research data support units with secure local storage for research data, data with personal data can be described with SND and stored locally. Contact SND or your local research data support unit to learn more about the situation at your HEI.
What are anonymized data?
Anonymized data are data which have been de-identified, so that it is no longer possible to identify a living individual from the data. This means that all code and encryption keys have been destroyed and that individuals cannot be re-identified from the data. Anonymized data are exempt from the General Data Protection Regulation and complementary legislation and can therefore be submitted to SND.
Does SND assume ownership of data that are made accessible in the research data catalogue?
No, the research principal always retains full ownership of data that are described and made accessible via SND. The research principle is the governmental authority or a natural or legal person responsible for the research conducted in their remit.
Can I edit a published data description?
Yes, if you have a published data description in the SND catalogue, you can update the information in the description or share new versions of the data. You do that in DORIS, using the New version function in your data description.
Can I update the study description with later publications?
Yes. You do that in the same way as you update other information in the data description: with the New version function in DORIS.
Can I describe research data from an active project with SND?
Yes. You are welcome to describe active and ongoing research in the SND catalogue to make it visible. If you want to share the data via SND and receive a DOI (persistent identifier) for the data, there have to be saved versions of the data. A dataset that has received a DOI cannot be changed; but you can share new and updated versions of a dataset, generating a new DOI for each dataset and version.
What happens if the principal investigator of a published study goes into retirement or dies?
A principal investigator who is no longer active due to retirement or death can still be the principal investigator of the study. If that principal investigator was also the contact person for the data, you need to appoint a new contact the data.
Can I take back data that I have shared in the SND catalogue?
Yes, the owner of the entry/data description can always request to have their described and uploaded data back from SND, and to have the entry de-published.
How are research data that are made accessible with SND reused?
Data from the SND catalogue are often reused for further research, but are also used for teaching purposes, e.g., in student essays or theses on bachelor or master level.
Can I see how many views the project data have had since they were made accessible in the catalogue?
SND keeps statistics over the datasets that are published in the research data catalogue. If you want to know how many times a published material has been requested or downloaded, you can contact us at snd@gu.se. These statistics can be useful if you want to assert the value of your scientific production.
How do you cite data?
When you use data from SND, it's important that you mention where the material comes from, and who has compiled it. You should enter a PID/DOI (a unique link that points to the data material) and a reference to the creator/primary researcher in your document.
Most entries in the SND catalogue already have citations in different referencing styles that you can simply copy and use. You can, for instance, choose from common styles such as the APA (American Psychological Association), Harvard, or Oxford reference systems.
What is a DOI?
A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a unique link to that is issued to every dataset shared in the SND research data catalogue. A DOI is a permanent and persistent link to the data that remains the same, even if the data files are moved. The purpose of a DOI is to ensure that research data are cited correctly, and to show which version of the data that has been used. Scientific journals often require that in order to publish material based on datasets, the datasets have to be accessible and have a DOI. Read more about DOI here.
What does it mean that a data repository is certified?
A certified data repository (a Trusted Digital Repository, TDR) follows certain recommended methods and standards for data management. It also means that you provide FAIR data. SND is the only Swedish repository with a TDR certification. Read more about our methods for trustworthy data management and data preservation here.