Research data holds immense value for the scientific community and society. To promote reproducibility and further reuse, funders, policymakers, and research institutions are supporting Open Science and Open Access policies.
Archiving is crucial for data re-usability. Unlike data storage, archived data must be persistent, remaining unchanged with proper Persistent Identifiers for tracking. Additionally, archived data should be discoverable through metadata, following the FAIR principles.
Let us introduce our NIRD Research Data Archive service, designed for easy human or machine access, facilitating future research and discoveries.
The mission of the NIRD Research Data Archive is to support Open Science at scale by offering a solution to publish data of any size under an Open-Access license. The goal is to maintain research data from Norwegian institutions discoverable, accessible, and reusable for at least 10 years.
What is the NIRD Research Data Archive?
The NIRD Research Data Archive is a long-term storage service for research data. It follows the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) reference model.
The archive is designed to support all types of datasets regardless of size or scientific domain and includes data annotation and base curation.
It is free to use and aligns with the FAIR principles for research data handling. Archived datasets remain accessible for up to 10 years after publication.
The archive makes the metadata (information about the stored data) publicly accessible, and some metadata is also distributed and harvested by other services.
Data in the NIRD Research Data Archive is self-uploaded and self-curated.
Please refer to our Data Policy for information on data classification.
Open Science and Open Access
The NRID Research Data Archive promotes Open Science and Open Access, strongly recommending public access to archived datasets.
However, restricted access is possible in specific cases, subject to yearly review. Downloading open-access datasets is anonymous, and the default access license applied to publicly accessible data is CC By 4.0.
Persistency
Published datasets receive persistent identifiers (PIDs) using the DataCite DOI service. You can obtain a DOI for your dataset before your article is published by selecting the "paper in preparation" option. We ensure data persistence for up to 10 years after the publishing date.
Metadata
For searching and discovery, metadata uses the Dublin Core metadata standard.
How to get access
It is easy to download data as you use the search web interface and the process remains anonymous.
To deposit data, you submit a request for access via the web user interface.
Next-generation NIRD Research Data Archive
We are currently designing and developing the next-generation NIRD Research Data Archive.
The new version will support data with varying access and security requirements, enhance metadata support, include DOI minting, improve scalability, optimise downloading/uploading workflows, and incorporate FAIR features for enhanced usability.
The NIRD Research Data Archive has been certified as a Trustworthy Data Repository by the CoreTrustSeal standards, affirming its steady commitment to data stewardship.
This international endorsement underscores that NIRD RDA adheres to crucial standards for data preservation, accessibility, and reliability, reflecting our dedication to safeguarding valuable datasets for the research community.
Is this not the archive service you were seeking?
Our parent company, Sikt – Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research, offers a national archiving service for archiving and sharing data from the social sciences, humanities, environmental and development research, and some data from medical and health research.
This archive accepts both quantitative and qualitative data, can archive personal data, and can set access restrictions. Survey data of high interest for researchers and the general public will receive extensive curation. These data will be included and made easily available through Surveybanken and archived for long-term preservation (at least 50 years). All data archived with Sikt will be available in the Sikt Data Catalogue by the FAIR principles. Data in the catalogue are available either by open download or through online ordering systems for data with access restrictions.
You might also need
We offer many services that you may need in addition to the Research Data Archive. In the National Infrastructure for Research Data (NIRD) ecosystem we offer a range of storage services designed to support scientific research in every step of the research data lifecycle. Below, you can see a few selected ones, and if you visit our services overview, you will find all we have on offer.
The Research Data Archive going forward
Take a look at our services roadmaps to follow development and progress.
Now
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Support the Data Rescue initiative
We will assist the Norwegian research community in safeguarding datasets currently stored abroad, which may be at risk of deletion or loss.
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NIRD Research Data Archive development
Use cases and functionalities which were not handled as part of the baseline product development during the Archive2021 project will be addressed as part of the NIRD Research data Archive product development process. API development will be prioritized to allow metadata harvesting by metadata registries. Functionalities such as customized data ingestion, customized search and reporting will be addressed.
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Enhancing the FAIRness of the NIRD Research Data Archive
We will improve the interoperability and findability of the NIRD Research Data Archive to enhance its overall FAIRness, making research data easier to discover, access, and integrate across systems. The Research data Archive will continue to evolve with new features and stronger support for FAIR principles. Development will be co-designed with researchers and key stakeholders to ensure it meets community needs.
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Open, confidential and restricted data services
The data landscape is becoming more complex with the explosion of new technologies and research frontiers. AI/ML is just paradigmatic of this revolution. A variety of data with different requirements with regard to access and protection is produced. We will design and adapt the services to data which require confidentiality while still be free from regulations related to health personal sensitivity.
Next
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Achieving the ISO 27001 certification
We will strengthen our information security practices and build customer trust by obtaining ISO 27001 certification, an internationally recognized standard for Information Security Management Systems.
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Research Data Archive for confidential data
The paradigm is to make Norwegian scientific data as open as possible, and as restricted as necessary. Finding mechanisms to archive, publish and share large volumes of unstructured scientific data with some requirements for higher security and access controls is still a challenge. Through domain expert and national provider consultation we will investigate and develop a comprehensive architectural design which can support both open research data and facilitate controlled access to sensitive and restricted research assets, ensuring privacy and compliance are baked into the design.
Later
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Sustainable governance
We will review and propose adjustments to the sustainability, support model, and governance of the new Research Data Archive. The aim is to explore opportunities to better utilize national competencies and resources, with the potential to contribute to a more robust and efficient long-term service.
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Discuss collaborations and synergies with DataverseNO
We will establish a framework for tighter collaboration with DataVerseNO, which is a popular platform among researchers and curators for archiving small datasets. Users will be guided and supported in scaling out from one service to the other.