Prepare data for publishing

If you would like to publish your data collection in 4TU.ResearchData or another data repository, it is advisable that you discuss the publishing process, including the reuse and citation of the original datasets and appropriate licensing options with your faculty Data Steward.

• To learn more about research data management, you can participate in an introductory workshop on Research Data Management offered by TU Delft, or review materials from online resources.
• See a videos on best practices on organising data files from UK Data Service.
• See a General guide prepared by Princeton Research Data Service on how to prepare data for publication as well more detailed videos on:
  • READMEs and codebooks
  • Findability and accessibility
  • Citing data

To prepare the data, see TU Delft Library recommendations regarding data documentation:

• Make sure to include metadata document in the data package. Follow 4TU.ResearchData guide on writing README file.
• For tabular data, consider creating a code book.
  
• Determine whether there is a defined/ preferred metadata standard for your discipline and follow the standard. You can browse through existing standards here.
  
• Consider the file format of the data. Data repositories might have preferred file formats, that ensure interoperability and long-term preservation of the files. See the list of 4TU.ResearchData preferred file formats or UK Data Archive recommended and acceptable file formats. The list might vary by repository, so it is important to cross-reference your file formats with the list of recommended formats of the repository of your choice.