Contact rdm@tufts.edu with any questions about using Tufts Dataverse.
Data can be uploaded to the main Tufts Dataverse, or to a specific collection. You must be logged in to deposit data.
To upload a dataset, navigate to the desired location (either the main page of Tufts Dataverse, or the page for your collection). Click "Add Data", then choose "New Dataset" from the drop-down menu.
After uploading, your dataset will remain unpublished until a Tufts Dataverse administrator has approved the submission. We approve datasets after a brief review for quality. We aim to contact users within 1-2 business days after submission, but publication may be delayed if changes are required. We recommend initiating a deposit at least 2 weeks before you need the data to be published.
Adding metadata helps others find your data more easily. The more metadata you provide, the more options there are for your data to be discovered.
Tufts Dataverse requires the following metadata:
|
Required Field |
Format |
Guidance |
|
Title |
Free text |
The title of the dataset. If this is a replication dataset, we recommend: “Replication Data for:” + the title of the paper. |
|
Author Name |
Last, First M. |
The person or organization that created the dataset. Add additional authors with the (+ Add) button. |
|
Author Affiliation |
Search & select from drop-down list |
The organization/entity affiliated with the author. If logged in with your Tufts credentials, this will automatically be filled in as Tufts University. You can search the drop-down list for additional organizations, e.g., Tufts Medical Center. |
|
Point of contact |
Last, First M.; include Affiliation |
The person that Dataverse users can contact with questions about the dataset. If the contact person is also an author, make sure the affiliation is the same as listed under “Author Affiliation”. |
|
Description |
Free text |
A summary describing the purpose, nature, and scope of the dataset. This field should provide enough details so that other researchers can understand (1) what data is contained within; and (2) the methodology by which the data was collected/generated. |
|
Subject |
Select from drop-down |
The area of study relevant to the dataset. You may select multiple subject areas if your research is multi-disciplinary. |
|
Keywords |
Free text (with an optional link to controlled vocabulary) |
Key term(s) that describe an important aspect of the dataset. If there is a related publication, you should use the same keywords as the publication. You do not have to use a controlled vocabulary; consider using them if your related publication has keywords/subject terms from a controlled vocabulary. Examples include Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) or Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). Not sure how to choose a term? Reach out to rdm@tufts.edu and we’ll help you identify the best keywords for your dataset. |
We recommend adding these citation metadata:
|
Recommended Field |
Format |
Guidance |
|
Author Identifier |
XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX |
A unique digital identifier. We recommend using ORCID iD. Enter the number only of your ORCID iD (do not include “https://orcid.org/” at the beginning) |
|
Related Publication |
Free text |
The article or report that uses this dataset. Under “Citation”, include a citation to the article in your discipline’s preferred citation style. Under “URL”, include its permanent identifier (e.g., a DOI) in URL form (beginning with https://). If there is no related publication, include a brief description of the methodology used to create the dataset in the Description field instead. |
|
Funding Information * |
Search & select from drop-down list |
The agency which provided the dataset’s financial support. If available, include the grant number under “Identifier”. |
|
Production Location * |
Free text |
Include at least the country/countries where the data was collected. Use a more specific location if relevant to your research (e.g., “Somerville, MA, United States”). If multiple locations, list separated by semicolons. |
|
Date of Collection * |
YYYY-MM-DD |
The dates during which data was collected or generated (e.g., when samples were being analyzed, surveys were being answered, etc.). If you know the year but not the dates, use YYYY-01-01. |
|
Time Period * |
YYYY-MM-DD |
The time period that the data refer to. Use when working with historical data (e.g., for records from 1910 that were digitized more recently, the time period would be 1910, not the date of digitization.) If you know the year but not the dates, use YYYY-01-01. |
*These metadata fields must be added after the dataset is initially uploaded (but before publication) by selecting Edit Dataset.
Additional discipline-specific sets of metadata fields can be added after the initial upload, including Geospatial Metadata (11 fields such as latitude and longitude) and Social Science and Humanities Metadata (26 fields such as sampling procedure and response rate), and more.
For help with filling out additional metadata, contact rdm@tufts.edu.
Access to individual files can be restricted. When the “Request Access” feature is enabled, users must submit a request to receive your data. We encourage data not be restricted when possible. Reasons for restriction may include when sensitive information has been identified as acceptable for sharing in consultation with Tufts Dataverse administrators.
You can also place an embargo on individual files (for instance, if required by a journal). You must choose an embargo end date, on which the embargo will end and the data files will be made available. Note that in order for an embargo to take effect, the dataset must be published first, making the metadata for the dataset visible (but not the embargoed files themselves).