Data@UNIMI is the University’s of Milan research data repository based on the Dataverse open-source software. Importantly, it is certified with the CoreTrustSeal which guarantees the trustworthiness of the repository itself and the quality of the deposited research data which is managed in compliance with the FAIR principles. It is available to researchers so that they can upload, describe, and share their research data conveniently and with adequate support from the university staff.
Data@UNIMI will thus help researchers to:
- archive research data securely at the end of or during a project
- increase the impact of research by sharing data according to the FAIR principles
- make a research dataset easily findable
- assign digital object identifiers (DOIs) to uploaded data to make it easily citable (automatically)
- open up research data to other researchers and users, legally and in a controlled manner
- comply with funder and/or institutional requirements regarding research data (for example, if you have an EU grant, you can deposit research data on Data@UNIMI to comply with EU funding mandates)
- comply with the request of scientific journals to make publication-related data accessible (in this case, always ensure to enclose with your paper a data statement indicating where and under what conditions the related data is available)
Importantly, Data@UNIMI is available for researchers working with of affiliated to UNIMI; for those researchers who are not affiliated to UNIMI but are involved in research projects in which at least one member is from UNIMI; and, latly, for those who are not affiliated to UNIMI but are publishing with the Milano University Press.
UNIMI’s Dataverse is a refined tool built on a recursive and hierarchical structure. Each of the 31 departments of the University – plus the Milano University Press (UNIMI’s fully diamond publishing house) – is entitled to a dataverse, which bears the name of the department itself. Each departmental dataverse can contain many dataverses, ideally one for each researcher or collaborative project. For a dataverse which is set up, many sub-dataverses and datasets containing research data files can be created. Indeed, a dataverse is similar to a top container in Data@UNIMI’s hierarchical structure, whilst a dataset is the container of a digital object – defined with a unique DOI – with research data files, metadata and documentation inside. Indeed, remember that uploaded data should always be accompanied by the necessary documentation that will help other researchers understand your data and make it fully reusable.
Check this structure in the following image:
USEFUL LINKS:
- How to find a FAIR data repository?
- Recommended formats
- What is a README file and why is it advisable to use it
- How to assess the FAIRness of your dataset
- Tools for data quality control
- Licenses for accessing your research data
- Understanding metadata
How to start using Data@UNIMI?
- Consider whether this is the right platform for uploading your research data: UNIMI Dataverse can host all research data that are at the basis of publications, PhDs theses, research projects, etc, and are ready for being interpreted and reused; thus make sure that you select relevant data and keep uncomplete data elsewhere. Importantly, check these guidelines: Drive vs FAIR repository
- Check the ultimate research data management checklist!
- Be clear about relevant data use agreements and the authorizations and procedures that are necessary for publishing research data in a legal and ethical way and accordingly to Data@UNIMI’s terms of use
To start using Data@UNIMI, simply click on ‘Log in‘ at this page https://dataverse.unimi.it/ and sign up using your ORCID.
Importantly, please do take note that: the first dataverse of a research group or of a researcher will be created by the support staff: after having signed up to Data@UNIMI, therefore, ensure that you write to us at dataverse@unimi.it requesting the opening of a workspace (also indicating the title to be assigned to it and your department), otherwise you will not be able to use Dataverse. Once you have been granted the necessary permissions, you will be able to log in to UNIMI’s Dataverse and start creating one or more sub-dataverse and datasets, as in the following workflow:
To discover how to structure your space and how to use Dataverse in practice go back to the top of this page and navigate to the next one!