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. The repository team as well as the Recommended Formats Statement of the Library of Congress, opens an external URL in a new window provide support in choosing preservation-friendly formats.

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. Students can also upload data, but their deposits must be approved by the repository team before being published.

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. The permission to create a record and upload data must then be assigned by the repository team. Please be aware that the repository team currently also manually approves the publication of the first record.

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 a file in a new window for details. You can also give us access to your server. For special cases, an API can be used for upload.

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.

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.

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 or contact us.

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 GB. If you require higher quotas, please contact the repository team. 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 an external URL in a new window for the procedure.

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

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.

• 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 GB) at your disposal, and if you have 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.