Data Publication
MGDS promotes research data sets as legitimate, internationally-recognized citable contributions to the scientific record. MGDS offers a Data Publication Service that registers scientific data in the DOI® system, making data sets citable as publications with attribution to their investigators as authors. MGDS, through IEDA, is a publication agent as part of the DataCite consortium.
Resources
- How to Cite Datasets and Link to Publications (DCC Digital Curation Center)
- ESIP Interagency Data Stewardship/Citations/provider guidelines (Earth Science Information Partners)
- Data Citation Principles (Force11)
How to Cite Data
A data set can be cited using its DOI. The DataCite recommendation is to use the format:
- Creator (PublicationYear): Title. Publisher. Identifier. Data Accessed.
To create a link to a data set using its DOI, simply add the DOI to the base URL of http://dx.doi.org/.
For example, a data set registered by IEDA in the DOI system is the P-wave velocity structure from a study of Axial Seamount by Arnulf et al.
- Its data DOI is 10.1594/IEDA/324420.
- Its citation would be:
Arnulf, Adrien, et al., (2018): Three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure of Axial volcano on the Juan de Fuca ridge. Interdisciplinary Earth Data Alliance (IEDA). http://dx.doi.org/10.1594/IEDA/324420. Accessed on 29 March 2018.
- It can be accessed at the URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1594/IEDA/324420.
- The data set DOI is different from the DOI for the publication that cites the data set.
If you are interested in publishing your data through MGDS, please visit our data submission page.
Data DOI FAQ
Q: What is a DOI?
DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier. It is a uniquely-assigned internationally-recognized text code that is already widely-used within the scientific community to identify published research articles. The use of DOIs has recently been expanded to include data sets. Here is an example of a DOI: 10.1594/IEDA/324420
Q: What data sets are appropriate for a DOI?
Derived data sets that support a publication. Examples: The data tables, grids and maps that appear in a journal article.
Q: I have a data DOI. How do I find the data?
Append the data set DOI to this base URL: http://dx.doi.org/ For example, for the DOI "10.1594/IEDA/324420 ", the URL that links to the data is: http://dx.doi.org/10.1594/IEDA/324420
Q: When registered with a DOI, is a data set considered “published”?
Yes. The data set becomes citable as a stand-alone entity, according to international standards, just like a published paper.
Q: What is the difference between data publication and citation?
Publication makes the data formally available and, following the definition of Mooney and Newton (2012 – see citation below), citation provides the “tool for scholarly acknowledgement” of that publication.
Q: Who is listed as the author of the data set?
The investigator who contributed the data.
Q: What are the benefits of registering data with a DOI?
- Provides a simple, effective method for data citation.
- Promotes a scholarly framework that recognizes and rewards data producers.
- Endorses data sets generated from research as legitimate, citable contributions to the scientific record.
- DOI-tagged data sets have their own identity that is no longer associated only with specific publications.
- Assigns a permanent, citable URL to the data set.
- Facilitates data visibility, access, re-use and tracking.
- Helps assess the impact of data.
Q: What is the cost of data set DOI registration?
Nothing: It is free when data sets are registered through MGDS.
Q: Who assigns the DOI to my data set?
When a data set is registered with MGDS, a DOI can be requested. MGDS works with the international DataCite consortium to automatically generate specific DOIs.
Q: Will a DOI expire or become obsolete?
No. Every DOI is permanent and rigourous standards ensure that it is recognized around the world.
Q: What if I have a new version of the data?
DOIs are permanent. So, if an updated data set is submitted for publication its DOI can be linked to the original DOI.
Q: What is an example of a full citation that involves a DOI?
DataCite recommends the following format for citation: Creator (PublicationYear): Title. Publisher. Identifier
- Mooney, H, Newton, MP. (2012). The Anatomy of a Data Citation: Discovery, Reuse, and Credit. Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication 1(1):eP1035. http://dx.doi.org/10.7710/2162-3309.1035
- Arnulf, Adrien, et al., (2018), Three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure of Axial volcano on the Juan de Fuca ridge (investigators: Adrien F. Arnulf, Alistair Harding, Graham Kent, William Wilcock). Interdisciplinary Earth Data Alliance (IEDA). doi:10.1594/IEDA/324420
