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. ULethbridge 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:
This page has a list of things you can do to ensure your data is prepared for publication.
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:
From UBC. A quick start guide to creating a ReadMe.
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:
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
Tools and resources about sensitive data for researchers.
Decision tree to help researchers determine if data can be shared.
From Government of Canada Panel on Research Ethics.
A guide intended to help researchers minimize disclosure risk when sharing data from human participants.
(UK resource) Includes ethics checklist.
For considering which species' data should be protected.
This resource includes a matrix for assessing risk of harm and guidance for generalizing spatial information.
Credit for this Borealis Data Repository Guide goes to Thompson Rivers University. Gratefully reused with permission.