TU Wien Research Data is a system for all types of research data.

Data creators decide which data is suitable for upload into the repository. All file formats are allowed. However, the repository cannot guarantee long-term preservation for all of them. For more information, see the questions on recommended file formats and digital preservation below.

Depending on the discipline or research project, research data can be generated in very different ways (e.g. observations, experiments, measurements, surveys) and be available in very different forms (e.g. texts, tables, images, models, measurement data, videos or code). TU Wien Research Data is suitable for storing all types of research data as well as specific documents, e.g. reports, posters, presentations.

Please note that TU Wien provides further repository systems for 

• source code version management (TUgitLab)
• open access scientific publications (reposiTUm)

All active members of TU Wien can upload data to the repository, including students. Students can find more information in our guide for students and their supervisors, opens an external URL in a new window.

Please note: If you are interested in using the system, you can create an account by logging in with your TU account and accepting the terms of use. Afterwards, the repository team will grant you permission to create records and upload data.

You can upload data through the web user interface: just sign in with your TU Wien account and click on "My Dashboard". Please refer to the Upload Guide, opens in new window for details. You can also give us access to your server. For special cases, an API can be used for upload (see Case 3 of the API documentation, opens an external URL in a new window).

For active members of TU Wien, the use of TU Wien Research Data is basically free of charge. However, for bigger projects which demand customized processes, high storage, etc., costs may be incurred. In such cases, we ask you to involve the repository team at an early stage.

Files should be uploaded in a format that allows access to and reuse of the data even by third parties and in the long term.

The links in the table below will help you to find suitable formats to maximise the chances of survival and continued accessibility in the future. They lead to the relevant sections in the Library of Congress Recommended Formats Statement 2023-2024, opens an external URL in a new window. For logical preservation (see the question “Are uploaded datasets digitally preserved and curated?”), both preferred and acceptable formats are eligible.

This depends on your access setting. There are three options:

• The full record (metadata and files) is public. Anyone can search, view, and download.
• The record shows the metadata only, access to files can be granted on request.
• The record is not visible to the public. It can only be accessed by specified users.

With the second option, you can provide an access request form and choose who can see it: authenticated users, unauthenticated guests, both, or neither. You can also include text to be displayed on the form, such as an agreement that the requesting person must confirm before access permission is granted.

Confidential Data

Confidential data cannot be made available to the public. Data in this category may be:

• data that is contractually protected
• data from ongoing research projects
• data with commercial potential
• data resulting from sponsored or collaborative research

Confidential data may only be uploaded to the repository with restricted access. Restricted files can be shared with authorised users or published automatically after a set embargo period. By selecting "Full record: Public" and "Files only: restricted" in the visibility settings of the record, you can still publish the metadata and thus meet the requirements of the FAIR principles.

Particularly sensitive data

This covers sensitive personal data as well as data pertaining to criminal matters or national security data, for example:

• information about a person's religion, race, health, sexual life, political preference, finances
• genetic and biometric data of a person
• data relating to criminal convictions and offences or related security measures
• certain types of nuclear research

For this kind of data, a metadata-only record can be created in the repository. This means that the record contains only the metadata of the respective dataset, while the data itself is stored in a different location with particularly strict security measures.  

Anonymised personal data may be uploaded to the repository with restricted access to the files. By selecting "Full record: Public" and "Files only: restricted" in the visibility settings of the record, you can still publish the metadata and thus meet the requirements of the FAIR principles. General tips for anonymisation can be found on our legal and ethical issues, opens an external URL in a new window page.

Use and re-use of the data is subject to the usage license you assign.

Please note:

• Make sure you have the required consent in order to grant licenses as data creator. For more information see licensing.
• In its Policy for Research Data Management, TU Wien supports the use of open licenses.
• Data licensed under Creative Commons licenses can be reused as long as people give credit to you. Please be aware that once you have selected an open usage license, e.g. Creative Commons CC BY 4.0, you cannot take it back any more.
• Creative Commons licenses do not apply to software. Please use one of the software licenses offered by TU Wien Research Data. The tool Choose a license might help you making the adequate choice.
• It is good scientific practice to give credit to others by citing the research. TU Wien Research Data provides ready-to-use citation snippets.

If in doubt, see more information on legal and ethical issues, opens an external URL in a new window or contact us, opens an external URL in a new window.

Once the record is published, you can no longer change the files. The reason for this is that a DOI is assigned for each record, and a DOI must permanently refer to the same object.

However, you can always modify the metadata, for example if you want to update the description or add related works. If you have more recent files, or if you want to add other files, you must create a new version of your record. All metadata is taken over and you can also directly take over the files.

The total file size per record is limited to 75 GiB. If you require higher quotas, please contact the repository team, opens an external URL in a new window. It is possible that costs for (very) high data volumes must be provided by yourself, respectively your project or your institute. 

You can reserve a DOI for your record. This allows you to include the DOI in the files themselves and to refer to the data, e.g. in related publications, even though it has not yet been published. This can also be required by a funder or a publisher. TU Wien Research Data enables DOI reservation. Please refer to our Upload Guide, opens in new window for the procedure.

The data is stored on servers located at premises of TU Wien that are operated by Campus IT. The repository has two replicas which can be used to restore the data and the system, if needed.

Digital preservation defines three specific challenges that can be addressed to preserve digital objects digitally. These are physical, logical, and semantic preservation. Accordingly, TU Wien Research Data uses three levels of digital preservation depending on the type of digital object. Level 1 and level 2 are provided by default.

• Physical preservation for all deposited digital objects (level 1). This means the contents are guaranteed to remain unchanged on the bit level and will be made available as-is.
• Logical preservation for recommended file types (level 2). TU Wien Research Data commits to digitally preserve selected files, e.g. via file format migration if the used file format becomes endangered. Lists of suitable file types are provided in the answer to the question "Which file types are recommended?" above.
• Semantic preservation for specific uploads or collections (level 3). TU Wien Research Data offers the possibility of custom agreements with parties acting as curators of specific uploads or collections. In such cases, the highest level of preservation (L3) can be achieved. For more details, please contact .

No, this is not possible. Once you have uploaded and published data, it will receive a persistent identifier (DOI) and is thus permanently available. Changes in the metadata are still possible but you cannot remove the uploaded file itself.

Only if the repository receives proof of violation of rights, the record will be removed by the repository team. The persistent identifier and the URL are retained and point to a so called 'tombstone' page.

Principally, it is possible. However, the data creator must always be named in the field ‘Creators’. The data creator also decides on the usage license. People uploading the data must make sure they have the permission to upload and guarantee they only assign a usage license specified by the data creator.

Yes, you can create a so-called "Community". A community contains a curated collection of records. If you want to know how to create a community or to submit a new record to an existing community, please refer to our Upload Guide, opens an external URL in a new window.

Yes, TU Wien Research Data is compliant with the requirements for open and FAIR data, as asked by funders like the European Commission, FWF, FFG, WWTF, etc. The repository provides DOIs and synchronises with data hubs like DataCite and OpenAIRE. Moreover, TU Wien Research Data is listed in re3data – a registry many funders refer to.

Just by uploading data to a repository does not make it FAIR, but TU Wien Research Data supports the principles:

• Findability: by assigning a DOI for every record; by enabling to add clear and machine-readable metadata to data; by making the data findable using web-based search engines.
• Accessibility: by offering open, free and standardised communication protocols with authentication and authorisation procedures; by providing metadata only, independent of the availability of the files.
• Interoperability: by providing means to link other datasets, papers, documentation, code, etc. in order to provide context for the right interpretation of the uploaded data.
• Reusability: by helping to provide accurate, relevant metadata with data usage license, and using common standards.

Additionally, FAIRness is assured by allowing the metadata to be exported in various machine-readable formats and adding interfaces for other external services.

The record stays in TU Wien Research Data in the version uploaded and with the usage license assigned by you.

Note: If you anticipate that, after your leave, your record requires metadata changes or a new version, we recommend that you hand over the "Uploader" role (see question "Can I ask a person from my project team to upload the data?") to the Center for Research Data Management or another person at TU Wien to allow for future updates. For this it is necessary to notify the repository team, opens an external URL in a new window.

• The data stays at TU Wien. TU Wien thus retains full control over its data, including its security, privacy, and accessibility.
• You have a large size limit per record (75 GiB) at your disposal, and if you have a demand for more, you can discuss the terms with the repository team.
• If you have demand of customized, e.g. discipline-specific services, you can discuss together with the repository team.
• TU Wien Research Data is closer to the execution environment where you work with your data. Thus the data can be transferred more easily.
• The system is compliant with the Policy for Research Data Management at TU Wien and with other regulatory requirements.
• TU Wien Research Data will be better integrated with other TU Wien systems, and in the near future, you will be able to benefit from automation.