2. Describe data in DORIS

SND’s system for describing and sharing data is called DORIS. If you want to use DORIS, you must first register a user profile at SND. You do this by logging in to My Pages on the SND website. The very first time you log in to My Pages, a personal account will be created automatically.

DORIS has a digital form where you describe research data. This form contains help text and video guides to help you navigate the system. You can also begin a data description, save it, and continue working with it at a later time.

The more metadata, the better

Metadata are data about data, or information about data. All of the information that you enter into DORIS is metadata about your research material. These are also the metadata that will be visible in the SND research data catalogue when you publish your data description. The form has a number of mandatory fields that guarantee that the catalogue entry will be searchable. Apart from the mandatory information, you can enter additional metadata, so that searches lead to the particular data you describe. Remember that the more metadata you add, the more likely it is that others will understand the research material you describe.