Research Data Archive

Research data are gems for the scientific community and society as a whole. Data should thus be accessible after the project is completed, not only for the reproducibility of the results but also for further re-use. Therefore, funders and policymakers are supporting Open Science policies, requiring data to be preserved and Made accessible once the project is completed. Similarly, research institutions are adopting more and more Open Access policies.

To ensure data are reusable, data must be archived. Archiving is not like data storing. Archived data must be persistent (i.e., should not change, should have Persistent Identifiers) and discoverable (through metadata). As required by the FAIR principles, archived data should be accessible by humans and machines to allow the actual reusability of the data.

Service description - What is the Research Data Archive?

The Research Data Archive is an archive service that provides long-term storage for research data and is compliant with the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) reference model.

Our archive service supports archiving all datasets regardless of the scientific domain and offers data annotation and base curation. The service is free of charge in terms of uploading and use. It is managed in line with the FAIR principles for research handling. The data sets are available in the archive for up to 10 years after the date of publication.

The information about the stored data (metadata) is publicly accessible and some of the metadata is distributed and harvested by other services.

Data in the Research Data Archive are self-uploaded and self-curated.

Open Science and Open Access

The Research Data Archive has a mandate for Open Science and Open Access, and we strongly recommend giving public access to your archived datasets. However, the Research Data Archive also supports restricted access in specific cases, subject to yearly revision. The download of the open-access datasets is anonymous, and the default access license applied to publicly accessible data is CC By 4.0.

Persistency

Sigma2 provides published datasets with persistent identifiers (PIDs) using the DataCite DOI service.

You can get a DOI for your dataset before your article is published by selecting the "paper in preparation" option when creating a dataset. We guarantee the persistence of the data for up to 10 years after the publishing date.

Metadata

Metadata for searching and discovery is based on the Dublin Core metadata standard.

Next-Generation Research Data Archive

We are now designing and developing the next-generation Research Data Archive. The new version will support data with different access and security requirements, in addition to better support for metadata, DOI minting, scalability, downloading/uploading workflows and FAIR features in general.

Who can use the service?

Approved academically funded researchers will be allowed to deposit published research data in the archive. Everyone can download data anonymously.

What’s in it for me?

Research Data Archive is specifically suited for:

Archival of large datasets
Archival of data stored on NIRD Active Storage
Publishing and reusing
Machine actionable data and FAIR data
Long term preservation

How much does it cost?

Data can be downloaded and uploaded free of charge, regardless the size of the dataset.

How to get access?

Download is anonymous and through the search web interface.

For depositing data, you must submit a request for access through the web user interface.

By depositing data you do it under the condition defined under the Depositor agreement. In summary, the agreement is divided into two parts:

Research Data Archive Responsibilities

To ensure the dataset is managed according to the license agreement.
To ensure users of the dataset are aware of the access license. The archive encourages data to be as free from restriction as possible and suggests data follow the CC By 4.0 license.
To ensure approved users can access the dataset for the duration of the agreement (10 years from the date of submission).

Depositor Responsibilities

To ensure the dataset does not contain illegal content and that the data collection does not breach privacy or data protection laws
To ensure that the dataset abides by copyright and publication restrictions
To ensure permission from all stakeholders has been obtained to deposit the dataset
To ensure sufficient metadata is supplied with the dataset to enable the discovery and reuse of the dataset
To have read and signed the depositor license agreement

Access the Archive

Archive user guide

Not the archive service you were looking for?

Our parent company, Sikt – Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research, offers a national archiving service for archiving and sharing data from the social sciences, humanities, environmental and development research, and some data from medical and health research.

More information about Sikt´s archive service

This archive accepts both quantitative and qualitative data, can archive personal data, and can set access restrictions. Survey data of high interest for researchers and the general public will receive extensive curation. These data will be included and made easily available through Surveybanken and archived for long-term preservation (at least 50 years). All data archived with Sikt will be available in the Sikt Data Catalogue by the FAIR principles. Data in the catalogue are available either by open download or through online ordering systems for data with access restrictions. Read more about Sikt´s archive on their website.

The Research Data Archive going forward

Below you find the roadmap for the development of the Research Data Archive. The roadmap is continuously updated, and tasks may move forward and backwards if priorities change.

NIRD - an eco-system of storage services

NIRD – the National Infrastructure for Research Data is an eco-system of storage services designed to support scientific research in every step of the Research Data Life Cycle. You find services for:

Data planning: EasyDMP
Data collection and storage: NIRD Data Storage
Data analysis: NIRD Service Platform
Data preservation, archiving and re-use: Research Data Archive

Complete services overview

About the national e-infrastructure services

Sigma2 works closely with the universities of Bergen, Oslo, Tromsø and NTNU to operate the national e-infrastructure services. The collaboration is called NRIS (Norwegian research infrastructure services). It is the NRIS staff who ensures that all researchers who use the national e-infrastructure services get quick and easy access to domain-specific support and related activities.

Together we work to fulfil our vision We enhance excellent research for a better world.