The following aspects should be considered while you deposit your data. 

1. Go to EASY

Log in to EASY. Are you a first-time user? You must first create a free account by selecting ‘Register’.

2. Start depositing

After logging into EASY, go to deposit your data and click start deposit.

3. Metadata

The more fields you enter, the better your data can be found. All metadata is public. The metadata fields should only contain personal data that is used to account for the dataset. They must not contain personal data of the research subjects in your dataset.

  • Use the language in which the data is recorded; if this is a language other than Dutch or English, please include a summary and keywords in Dutch or English in addition to the original description. 
  • Under Subject you can add keywords relating to the content and the place/period of origin of the data. If you add the keywords “Second World War” and “Oral History”, the dataset will be classified under the collections with those names. It will also be harvested by the Network of War Sources.
  • DANS provides specific metadata fields for archaeological data, which refer to the Dutch vocabulary ‘archaeological basic register’ (Archeologisch Basisregister, ABR).
  • To make the data geographically visible, include the coordinates of the location where research was carried out.
  • If your project is already known by an identifier, add the identifier and the identifier type. DANS automatically assigns a DOI to your dataset.
  • In the Relation field, refer to a related dataset, publication or journal article, preferably using the DOI. If the article has not yet been published, please mention this after the title. In the Description field, indicate when and where the article is expected to appear.

4. Access category and licence

You have a choice of two access categories. The category only applies to the files in the dataset; metadata is always freely available. 

  • Open Access: accessible to everyone, no login required.
  • Restricted Access: with your prior consent, users may view and download data.

When opting for Open Access, you can choose from various user licences, including the Creative Commons Licences. Alternatively, you can place your dataset in the public domain (CC0 1.0).

With Restricted Access, use of the dataset is always subject to the DANS Licence. If necessary, you can impose additional conditions when users request permission to access the dataset. 

If your dataset contains personal data, you can only apply Restricted Access. 

If you want to set an embargo on the data (two years at most), you can do so in the Date available field. Once the embargo has expired, the dataset will be available in the access category you have set. If you wish to extend the embargo, please contact a data manager at DANS.

5. Upload the files

  • Multiple files can be uploaded in one .zip or .tar (other forms of file compression such as .rar or .7z are not supported by DANS). A large dataset can be divided into multiple .zip or .tar files. Note: .zip files nested in another .zip file are not supported.
  • You can easily upload files of up to 2 GB. If your files are larger than 2 GB, please contact a DANS data manager.

6. Submit the dataset 

Accept the Licence Agreement, then send the dataset to DANS using the ‘submit’ button. You will receive an email with the Licence Agreement and the persistent identifier of the dataset. Note: You will no longer be able to change the dataset yourself. If any changes are still required, contact a data manager at DANS.

If the submission fails, there may be a mandatory field that has not been completed. The system will indicate the field concerned. Once you have completed this field, click submit again.

7. Publication by DANS

DANS checks and processes the dataset and publishes it applying the indicated access category and conditions of use. The persistent identifier is activated and your data will be permanently archived and accessible to others, according to international certification guidelines. The Provenance and data processing document provides more information about how DANS ensures the accessibility and readability of datasets, and the Preservation Plan sets out the principles that DANS applies to long-term preservation of digital research data. The following aspects are described:

  • The chosen approach for sustainable archiving of data, which partly goes back to the first datasets in the Steinmetz archive (which was established in 1964 and taken over by DANS in 2005).
  • The authenticity of the data.
  • The various steps in the archiving process, such as depositing data, storing it sustainably and securely and making it available, all in accordance with the international reference model for an open archival information system.