Borealis

Data Preparation

Data that you deposit should be clearly organized so that another researcher can understand and use the data. For example, variables should be clearly named and defined. U of L Library staff will not be curating your data quality or usability; however, we recommend that you ensure your data is organized and usable.

Resources for Data Organization:

• Prepare your data for deposit: Checklist for preparing data files

  This page has a list of things you can do to ensure your data is prepared for publication.

• Research Data Reusability: Conceptual Foundations, Barriers and Enabling Technologies (Thanos, 2017)

  Journal article about ensuring that data will have high reusability.

Additionally, a ReadMe file should be included alongside the data to provide important context. The first resource below outlines what should be included in a ReadMe file, and the second resource is a template you can use to create your own:

• Creating a ReadMe for your Dataset

  From UBC. A quick start guide to creating a ReadMe.

What is Sensitive Data?

Borealis is not suitable for storing sensitive or restricted data. You will have to de-identify and anonymize your data before you can publish it. Sensitive and restricted data include:

• Human Participant Data
  • human participants, human biological material
  • ensure you have consent to share and de-identify participants
  • See resources below for assistance with deciding if you can share and on de-identifying data
• Indigenous-owned data
  • Includes data collected from Indigenous people and Indigenous lands, water, and ice
  • Must receive consent from affected Indigenous community leaders to share data
• Location information
  • Includes data collected of vulnerable species, from field sites in protected areas, from sensitive archaeological sites, or from private property where consent to reveal location was not obtained, could devalue property, cause stigmatization, or endanger vulnerable species

See the next box for resources about de-identifying data and working with sensitive data.

Source: Wilson, Susie (2021). Research Data Management: Data Storage and Security. https://libguides.unbc.ca/rdm/secure-storage

Source: FRDR. (n.d.). Preparing Your Data. FRDR-DFDR. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://www.frdr-dfdr.ca/docs/en/preparing_your_data/#choosing-preservation-friendly-file-formats

Sensitive Data Resources

• Portage: Sensitive Data Toolkit

  Tools and resources about sensitive data for researchers.

• Can I Share my Data?

  Decision tree to help researchers determine if data can be shared.

• Guidance on Depositing Existing Data in Public Repositories

  From Government of Canada Panel on Research Ethics.

• Portage: De-identification Guidance

  A guide intended to help researchers minimize disclosure risk when sharing data from human participants.

• Ethical considerations in the use of geospatial data for research and statistics

  (UK resource) Includes ethics checklist.

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  For considering which species' data should be protected.

• Current Best Practices for Generalizing Sensitive Species Occurrence Data

  This resource includes a matrix for assessing risk of harm and guidance for generalizing spatial information.

• McGill Data Anonymization Workshop Series

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