FAQ Research Data

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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 

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.  

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.