Long term storage and metadata

The I-Lab enables you to store your dataset in a repository (the I-Lab Vault) and to publish this a dataset as a ‘datapackage’, that is, a comprehensive set of data and the description of this dataset.

The description of your datapackages will have different forms. As a researcher you probably want to store a codebook with your dataset, describing the variables used, their possible values etc.

However, before you can store a  set of data as a datapackage in the I-Lab vault, you are supposed to add metadata in a metadata-form.

This metadata function as administrative description of your data. The I-Lab uses its own format. However, this format can be translated to a number of metadata formats like Dublin Core and DDI.

Publishing and metadata

If you decide to publish your datapackage, the administrative metadata you’ve filled out will be published to the I-Lab Catalogue and will become searchable.

During the publish process you will get a so called ‘Persistent Identifier’. This is a code which you can use in your publications as a reference to your dataset in publications. The specific Persistent Identifier used within the I-Lab is a DOI. This DOI is registered by DataCite.