BORIS Portal

FAQ BORIS Portal - General Issues

How much does it cost to use the BORIS Portal? 

The BORIS Portal is maintained by the University of Bern as an institutional repository and is free of charge for all members of the university and Inselspital up to a data volume of 1 TB per year per researcher. A fee of CHF 60 per year is charged for each additional TB or part thereof.

Which file formats does BORIS Portal accept?

BORIS Portal supports all common file formats. However, in the interest of data reusability, it is recommended to use open file formats (e.g. txt, csv, PDF). 

What is the maximum file size for uploads?

You can upload up to 2 GB per file yourself. For larger data sets, please contact us at borisportal@unibe.ch. A total of up to 1 TB per year per researcher can be uploaded. For each additional TB or part thereof, a fee of CHF 60 per year will be charged.

FAQ BORIS Portal - Publications

Where are my publications published in BORIS Publications?

The migration of publications from the former BORIS Publications platform to the new BORIS Portal has been completed.

• All data from BORIS Publications is now available in BORIS Portal.
• BORIS Publications is no longer active and has been replaced by BORIS Portal.

Will my publication still be accessible via the BORIS Publications DOI in the future?

• The DOIs assigned by BORIS Publications remain valid.
• The DOIs from BORIS Publications redirect to the corresponding item in BORIS Portal.

Where and how do I enter my publications in BORIS Portal?

Go to https://boris-portal.unibe.ch/

Log in with your Switch EduID via ‘Login’ in the top right-hand corner.

• Click on ‘Dashboard’ in the top right-hand corner and then on ‘Add Publication’ or ‘External import’.
• Fill in the metadata fields and complete the entry by clicking ‘Submit’ at the bottom right.

The BORIS Portal editorial team will check your submission against formal criteria, ask any necessary questions and then approve the publication.

How can I import publications via DOI?

Importing publications with DOI is done in three steps:

• Select ‘External Import’ with the selection ‘Publication’.
• Enter the DOI in the field, select ‘CrossRef’ and click ‘Search’.
• The publication can be imported by clicking on the import symbol.

How can I import publications via ORCID?

1. Melden Sie sich beim BORIS Portal an.  
2. Klicken Sie in Ihrem Dashboard auf  den Button „External Import”.  
3. Wählen Sie „Publications” aus der Dropdownliste.    
4. Wählen Sie in der Dropdown-Liste „External Source” die Option „ORCID” aus.  
5. Geben Sie entweder Folgendes ein:  Die ORCID-ID (z. B. 0000-0002-1825-0097) oder  den Namen des Autors. 
6. Das BORIS Portal fragt ORCiD ab und zeigt alle übereinstimmenden Publikationen an.  
7. Wählen Sie die Publikation aus, die Sie als neue Einreichung importieren möchten.  
8. Das Formular zur Einreichung von Publikationen wird geöffnet und mit den Metadaten aus ORCID vorausgefüllt.  
9. Füllen Sie alle noch fehlenden Pflichtfelder aus.  
10. Reichen Sie die Publikation zur redaktionellen Überprüfung ein.  
11. Nach der Überprüfung durch das Redaktionsteam wird die Publikation im BORIS-Portal veröffentlicht. 

Do I have to enter articles that are listed in Pubmed?

No, Pubmed publications are imported automatically and almost daily into the BORIS portal

• To avoid duplicates, please do not enter publications that are listed in Pubmed.
• It may take a little longer for Pubmed publications to be published and visible in the BORIS portal.
• Please feel free to report PubMed publications that need to be published urgently to boris@unibe.ch at any time, and the editorial team will process them as a matter of priority.

Where can I find the publications I have entered in the BORIS Portal?

There are three sections in your dashboard for publications entered in the BORIS portal:

• Published: Publications that you have entered and that have already been published by the editorial team
• Unfinished Submissions: Publications that are still being processed by you and that you will submit to the editorial team for publication
• Submissions in Review: Publications that you have submitted to the editorial team and that are still being processed there

How long does it take for publications that I have entered to be published in the BORIS Portal?

Received publications are published daily and on an ongoing basis.

• Under certain circumstances, the processing time may take a little longer.
• Please feel free to report PubMed publications that need to be published urgently to boris@unibe.ch at any time, and the editorial team will process them as a matter of priority.

Can I edit my publications in the BORIS portal later?

• Once you have entered the publication, you can correct it as long as it is still in your dashboard under ‘Unfinished Submissions’.
• If the publication has already been submitted, you can no longer make corrections yourself.
• Corrections to publications that have already been submitted or published are made by the BORIS Portal editorial team.
• Please report the necessary correction to: boris@unibe.ch.

Can I delete published items in the BORIS portal?

No, items that have already been published cannot be deleted. If you would like to request an exception, please contact: boris@unibe.ch.

Can I receive an introduction to entering publications in the BORIS Portal?

Yes, you can participate in a group training session or arrange a personal appointment:

• Group training sessions: You can register for ‘Entering publications in the BORIS Portal’ under Courses & Training. The next sessions will take place in autumn 2025.
• Individual sessions: Please contact the editorial team at boris@unibe.ch to arrange an appointment.

The name of the organisational unit in the BORIS Portal is incorrect and should be changed. Can you make the correction?

No, the BORIS Portal editorial team cannot change the names of organisational units, institutes and clinics in the BORIS Portal.

• The organisational and personal data comes from PARIS (Partner Information System), the database for personal and financial information at the University of Bern.
• Any requests for changes must be addressed to the responsible department at PARIS. The Human Resources Department is responsible for this process.
• The notification process and form can be found here: Services: Organisational changes in SAP and FIS - Uni Intern.
• Questions can be sent directly to systeme.pers@unibe.ch.

The changed names are transferred to the BORIS Portal through data exchange between PARIS and the BORIS Portal.

How can I embed a publication list on my website?

To generate a publication list from the BORIS portal, you must first switch to the new ZMS component:

• Here are the Instructions (in German).
• Configuration website: https://publicationlist.ub.unibe.ch

Can I continue to embed the publication list from BORIS Publications on my website?

No, BORIS Publications is no longer active.

• All publications from BORIS Publications are available in the BORIS portal.
• Instructions (in German) for generating the publication list from the BORIS portal can be found on the ZMS training page.

What is MetaEQ and what do I need it for?

MetaEQ is a tool designed to support research evaluation at the University of Bern's Faculty of Medicine.

• Since 2025, correction requests from the institutes and clinics of the Faculty of Medicine and Inselspital have been recorded and processed in MetaEQ.
• This is based on the publications for the respective evaluation year, which are listed in MetaEQ and imported from the BORIS portal.
• If you have any questions about using MetaEQ, please consult the MetaEQ Manual (in German) or contact the BORIS Portal editorial team: boris@unibe.ch.

FAQ BORIS Portal - Research Data

How secure are research data on BORIS Portal?  

BORIS Portal is operated on servers of the University of Bern, which have the same security level as the entire university network. The contents of BORIS Portal are backed up automatically at a daily interval. 

How to upload research data to BORIS Portal?  

Go to https://boris-portal.unibe.ch/  

• Log in with your Switch EduID via the “Login” button in the top right-hand corner. 
• Click on “Dashboard” at the top right and then on “Add research data”. 
• Fill in all metadata fields and upload your dataset and associated documentation (readme, codebook, etc.).  
• Complete the submission with “Submit” at the bottom right. 

The BORIS portal editorial team will check your entry according to formal criteria, get in contact with you for clarifications if necessary, and then release the dataset. 

Is all research data on BORIS Portal openly accessible? Are there any access restrictions available?  

When uploading research data to BORIS Portal, you can choose from the following access types under “Data Availability”. The types define how other researchers can access your data:  

• Open for fully anonymised data and all other non-personal data that can be shared publicly. 
• Embargo (embargoed) for data that must be withheld for a certain period of time, e.g. until publication of the corresponding article, or due to a confidentiality agreement. Interested persons can request access to the data. 
• Restricted for personal data that has been anonymized but is still too sensitive to share openly, e.g. clinical research data. You can restrict the subsequent use of your data via a Data Transfer Agreement. Interested persons can request access to the data. 
• Closed for data that cannot be shared openly. You cannot upload files, but you can enter metadata and documentation to give proof of the dataset, and to make it citable. Interested persons can request access to the data. You can regulate subsequent use of your data via a Data Transfer and Use Agreement. The data cannot be transferred via the repository.  
• Metadata Only: If research data has been published in another repository, you can enter metadata in BORIS Portal to give proof of the dataset on BORIS Portal for the University of Bern. 

Documentation of your research data (readme files, codebooks, etc.) as well as Data Transfer and Use Agreements are always openly accessible as "Supplementary Material" under a CC0 license. 

Can I upload protected data or sensitive data, e.g. personal data, on BORIS Portal? 

Personal data, data under copyright protection, confidential information, etc. cannot be uploaded to BORIS portal. Personal data must be completely anonymized or aggregated before uploading. Depending on residual risks, they can then be published openly or with access restrictions. Exceptions for non-anonymized personal data, data protected by copyright, etc. can only be made if you can prove that the identifiable persons, copyright holders, etc. have given their express consent to publication. 

Will my research data entries be checked in BORIS Portal?  

Yes, the editorial team reviews submissions based on formal criteria. This includes verifying the plausibility of the metadata, ensuring that data files can be opened and are not corrupted, and assessing whether the documentation (e.g., README files, codebooks) is sufficient to support transparency and reuse of the dataset. If necessary, submitters may receive feedback from the editors with suggestions for revision.  

Can I reserve a DOI?  

You can reserve a DOI for a dataset you want to publish on BORIS Portal. To do so, proceed as follows:

• Create a new research data entry and fill in the metadata in the "Description" section. You can change the information you enter now at a later date.  
• Upload a file (e.g., a Word document without content) in the "Upload" section. 
• Save the entry with "Save and close." Once you open the research-data entry again from your dashboard, the DOI will appear in the "DOI" section. This DOI is reserved for you, although it is not yet active. 
• The DOI will be activated shortly after the data record is published.  

Reserving a DOI can be useful, for example, if you wish to reference the dataset in a related publication but cannot make the data publicly available in advance. Please ensure that the dataset description is completed and published on BORIS Portal no later than the publication date of the paper. 

What licenses can I assign to research data and code? 

If research data and code can be shared openly, the following licenses are available:

• For research data: CC licenses and CC0; 
• For code: MIT, Apache 2.0, GNU GPL v3, LGPL, BDS, AGPL.  
• You may use a different license by selecting "Other" in the "License" dropdown menu during the submission process and entering a link to the license text. 
• For data that is under "restricted access" and "closed access," no licenses can be used. We recommend using a data transfer and use agreement. 

Can I release data with a data transfer and use agreement?  

A Data Transfer and Use Agreement (DTUA) is a contract that sets out the conditions under which a dataset can be accessed and used. If you choose "restricted", "closed" or “embargoed” as access setting for your data, you can upload a data transfer and use agreement together with your data. Researchers who request access to your data must sign this agreement and return it to you. You will then receive a link by email that prompts you to login to BORIS Portal to approve or reject the request.  

How long will my research data remain available? 

BORIS Portal aims to keep research data available indefinitely, but at least 10 years. Metadata will be stored indefinitely. For further details, please consult the BORIS Portal Policy.  

Can data be withdrawn or deleted? 

Withdrawing or deleting published data sets is only possible in exceptional cases. These include: proven copyright infringements, plagiarism, or other legal reasons (e.g., data protection), national security, or falsified results (see BORIS Portal Policy). Use the versioning function if you want to update your data set. 

Can research data sets be changed after publication? 

Minor formal errors (e.g., typos) or other errors that do not affect the content or analysis of the data can be corrected. To arrange for the changes to be made, please contact the BORIS portal editorial team at borisportal@unibe.ch. 

If there are updates to the dataset that affect its content (e.g. added measurements or source material), please create a new version, as the published version may already have been used and cited and must therefore be retained for verification purposes. 

How can I version a dataset? 

Log in on https://boris-portal.unibe.ch/. 

• Open the dataset you want to version. 
• Click on the red "More" button on the right, and select "Create new version." This will create a copy of the existing data set. 
• Change the metadata as necessary and replace the existing files with the updated versions. 
• Finally, click on "Submit" at the bottom of the page. 

The new version of the dataset will receive its own DOI. The old versions will still be available. A version table will be displayed at the bottom of each dataset's webpage, from which all versions can be accessed. 

FAQ BORIS Portal - Research Projects

How to create publication lists based on research projects? 

Publication lists can also be generated based on projects. To do this, please switch to the new CMS component. Here is the user manual. Configuration website: https://publicationlist.ub.unibe.ch 

Which identifiers are used in BORIS Portal?  

• DOI: A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a unique and persistent identifier for digital objects such as research articles, datasets, or reports. It ensures that an object remains findable even if its URL changes. 
• ORCID:The Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCiD) is a unique, persistent identifier for researchers. It helps to unambiguously link publications and other research outputs to an individual, even in cases of name similarities or changes. 
• ROR: The Research Organization Registry (ROR) ID is a unique identifier for research organizations worldwide. It enables clear affiliation of research outputs to institutions and improves research discoverability

Who can submit research projects? 

Only researchers with a full Campus Account (CA) and Insel staff members are able to record research projects. Students and associated researchers with a Faculty Account (FA) cannot submit research projects. However, the contents of published research projects are publicly accessible to everyone. 

How do I submit research projects on BORIS Portal? 

Go to https://boris-portal.unibe.ch/  

• Log in with your Switch EduID via the “Login” button in the top right-hand corner. 
• Click on “Dashboard” at the top right and then on “Add Project’. 
• Fill in all metadata fields complete the submission with “Submit” at the bottom right. 

 The BORIS portal editorial team will check your entry according to formal criteria, get in contact with you for clarifications if necessary, and then publish the research project.