Adding data to the archive

From September 2023 onwards, all newly submitted research proposals will be screened for their suitability to be included in SAVED. If your proposal is selected this will be stated in the Grant Offer Letter and information will be provided on the data transfer process.

If your research proposal has been selected for SAVED, you are required to transfer a copy of the data and accompanying documentation to the SAVED-archive after your study has been completed. Preparing data for transfer to SAVED involves several important steps to ensure that the data is well-documented, organized, and compliant with the SAVED requirements.

This preparation process starts when you receive your research grant by accepting the Data Transfer Agreement [DTA] that is attached to the Grant Offer Letter. The Data Transfer Agreement arranges the transfer of the data and its management to the SAVED and includes i.e. a list of required documentation and embargos that may be applicable and stipulates how you may be involved in requests for secondary data analysis.

Transfer of the data takes place after your study has been completed, but it is highly recommended to keep requirements for the transfer in mind during the study as high-quality secondary data implies the data is well-organized and documented. Starting and keeping up with organization and documentation during your study will help you out [i.e. if you need to retrace your steps] and save you quite some time if you must do it in retrospect all at once.

These are the steps to keep in mind:

Organize Your Data: Ensure that your data is well-organized and structured in a logical manner. Create clear and descriptive folder names and file names to facilitate easy navigation and understanding.

Data Cleaning and Quality Assurance: Clean your data to remove any errors, inconsistencies, or outliers that could affect its integrity or usability. Perform quality assurance checks to verify the accuracy and completeness of the data.

Format Conversion: Convert your data into standard, interoperable formats that are commonly used and supported by the repository. This may include formats such as CSV (Comma-Separated Values), JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), XML (eXtensible Markup Language), or specific file formats required by the SAVED-archive.

Documentation and Metadata: Provide comprehensive documentation and metadata for your data to enhance its findability, usability, and interpretation. This may include information such as a data description or README file, data dictionary, variable descriptions, methodology documentation, and any relevant contextual information.

Data Privacy and Ethical Considerations: Ensure that your data complies with relevant privacy regulations and ethical considerations, particularly if it contains sensitive or personally identifiable information. Anonymize or de-identify sensitive data as necessary to protect participant privacy.

Review and Publication: After submitting your data it will undergo a review process to ensure compliance with our guidelines and standards. Please address any feedback or revisions requested so we can complete the archiving process. After the archiving process is complete, we will add a description of the data in our data catalogue, signalling that it is available for secondary analysis requests.