Welcome to the Yale Dataverse! Follow these steps to start depositing and managing your research data. The Yale Dataverse is a repository for research data that do not already have a home in a disciplinary-specific repository and are able to be publicly shared.
1. Before you begin
Before you begin, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with common questions and answers - review our FAQs here. The Yale Dataverse Terms of Use also provides important guidance regarding user responsibilities.
2. Log in
Go to https://dataverse.yale.edu and log in with your Yale credentials. This will create your account. If you do not have Yale credentials but are collaborating with Yale researchers, submit this form to request an account.
3. Decide on structure
The Yale Dataverse is a collection of other Dataverses (known as sub-Dataverses).
Dataverse allows users to create sub-dataverses within which to deposit datasets. These sub-dataverses could represent a department, lab, or individual researcher. It is up to the user to define the structure that works for them, and datasets can be shifted later if needs change. If you are part of a department or lab that already has a sub-dataverse within the Yale Dataverse, you can search the Yale Dataverse home page for the name of the sub-dataverse, or click the “Dataverses” link in the left panel to navigate to the sub-Dataverse to which you belong. You may need to request permissions to join an existing sub-dataverse. Email dataverseadmin@yale.edu if that is the case.
Our default settings also allow you to create a sub-Dataverse if there is not one existing for your research team or project. Click on the “Add Data” button to find the “New Dataverse” option. Please see the FAQs for naming conventions and other important information – most importantly, the title must have “Dataverse” in it. You will automatically become the owner/admin of this sub-dataverse and be able to manage user access to it.
4. Upload data
Once you are in the sub-dataverse into which you plan to deposit your dataset(s), click on the “Add Data” button to select “New Dataset.” The definition of a dataset is very flexible and can consist of one or more data files or a full replication package, including code, cookbook and other material. Files can be directly uploaded or be part of a zipped file.
The default method to upload data accommodates individual files up to 2.5GB. If you have individual files larger than 2.5GB, or if you prefer the upload to not unzip or convert your file(s), we have some other upload options available for use. Please contact dataverseadmin@yale.edu so we can switch on different options for your sub-dataverse.
If you upload a zipped file, the default data upload method unzips zip files and displays the underlying file structure. If you prefer it not unzip your file(s), you may either choose a different method of uploading or ‘tar’ the files.
During upload, you will have the opportunity to add Citation Metadata, domain-specific metadata, and file-level metadata. To get a citation with a DOI, at a minimum, enter the required fields in Citation Metadata. The types of metadata available are configured by Dataverse. Please contact dataversadmin@yale.edu if you have questions or need assistance.
5. Adding collaborators
If other researchers or team members need access to your Dataverse to deposit data, they will also need to create an account on Yale Dataverse. As the owner of a sub-Dataverse or dataset, you can then assign them specific roles according to their needs. Refer to the relevant FAQ for more details on roles and permissions.
6. Review your privacy settings
If your dataset needs to remain private while it is under review at a journal, take these steps to get a private URL to share with reviewers:
- Upload your files and click on “Save Dataset.”
- On the next screen, instead of publishing, go to “Edit Dataset.”
- From the dropdown menu, select “Private URL.”
This URL can be shared with journals and reviewers, but the data will remain invisible to anyone browsing the Yale Dataverse. Once your paper is accepted or published, you can return and publish the dataset to make it publicly accessible.
For additional information, see Dataverse documentation (https://guides.dataverse.org/en/latest/user/dataverse-management.html). If you have any questions, email dataverseadmin@yale.edu.