A list of terms used in relation to the DataShare repository and throughout the accompanying documentation. Research data That which is collected, observed, or created in a digital form, for purposes of analysing to produce original research results. Dataset A set of files containing both research data - usually numeric or encoded - and documentation sufficient to make the data re-usable. Documentation Any digital files such as a codebook, technical or methodology report or user guide, which explain the research data’s production, provenance, processing or interpretation. Metadata Information about a data item in the repository, including descriptive metadata such as title and other fields used in a citation, and administrative metadata such as date of submission. Usually conforms to a standard to allow computer-to-computer interoperability. Research output A term used to cover all research publications, and artefacts such as presentations, and not normally used to include research data. Digital repository Differs from other digital collections in that "content is deposited in a repository, whether by the content creator, owner or third party; the repository architecture manages content as well as metadata; the repository offers a minimum set of basic services e.g. put, get, search, access control; the repository must be sustainable and trusted, well-supported and well-managed." (Digital Repositories Review, Heery and Anderson, 2005) Edinburgh DataShare The name for the digital repository hosted at the University of Edinburgh for University of Edinburgh researchers to share their completed research data to be accessed by others. Open Access Material made available online in such a way that it is free for all users to access and use. DSpace The name of the software platform used for the DataShare service (along with the Library's Publications Repository Service). Community A DSpace term used to group collections in a repository. A community can be a school or other unit of the University. Collection A group of datasets, or items. A collection can be named after the research unit responsible for creating the data or given its own name. This article was published on 2024-08-21
