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Borealis

Introduction to Borealis

What is Borealis? Borealis, the Canadian Dataverse Repository, is a bilingual, multi-disciplinary, secure, Canadian research data repository, supported by academic libraries and research institutions across Canada. Borealis supports open discovery, management, sharing, and preservation of Canadian research data. U of L's Institutional Collection in Borealis is available to researchers affiliated with the University of Lethbridge and their collaborators.

Why deposit data? Depositing data (i.e. uploading data to a repository and providing descriptive metadata) has many benefits. Sharing data can benefit future work in your field as other researchers will be able to use your data. Your work may also be cited more, as your data can be cited as well as or instead of your publication. Finally, some grants - including those from the Tri-Council - are starting to require that data be deposited in a repository. Depositing your data into U of L's Dataverse collection will meet these requirements.

This user guide will prove useful as you move forward with the deposit process: Borealis User Guide

Data Deposit

To get started with depositing your data, create an account on the Borealis login page. Note: U of L has single sign-on. Look for the University of Lethbridge in the institution dropdown list.

Once you've created an account, contact the Library Research Support Group (library.rsg@uleth.ca) for Borealis permissions to create your Dataset and begin uploading your data! Before permissions are granted, we recommend that you complete the first two Dataverse 101 training modules.

Below are steps that will ensure that you, your data, and your metadata are ready for deposit. Links lead to other places in this guide.

  • Review documentation: Borealis Terms of Use, and the U of L Borealis Deposit Guidelines.
  • Clean up your data:
    • Desensitize sensitive data: "data deposited into Borealis must not contain information that could directly or indirectly identify a subject, except where the release of such identifying information has no potential for constituting an unwarranted invasion of privacy and/or breach of confidentiality" (Borealis Terms of Use)
    • Data should be clearly organized so that another researcher can understand and use the data
  • File names and organization:
    • File names of your data files are consistent
    • A ReadMe describing the data is included
  • Upload data files into Borealis
  • Assign descriptive metadata: descriptive metadata will ensure that your data is findable and that those who find it understand it.
  • Choose a license for the data: this will tell anyone how they may reuse the data
  • Review curation checklist: this is a short list of requirements, such as completed metadata, for your data to be published. A U of L library staff member will be reviewing this list with respect to your data before it is published. If you have followed the steps above, you will be good to go!

U of L Borealis Documentation

Credit for this Borealis Data Repository Guide goes to Thompson Rivers University. Gratefully reused with permission.