Where to store unpublished data

All data from NPI projects should be saved on the ‘npdata’ server, without exceptions. While it is perfectly acceptable to have copies on individual PCs or on other servers for analyses and processing, it is vital to have the original datasets on npdata. This is where they will be safely backed up, safeguarded, and kept findable no matter what.

1. Connect to the network share and find or create your workspace

To connect your computer to the \npdata data storage, do this:

  • Click “My computer” (“Denne PCen”) in Windows Explorer.

  • From the “Computer” (“Datamaskin”) menu tab, select «Connect to network drive” (“Kople til nettverksstasjon»)

  • Type \\npdata\project in the popup window and press “enter”.

  • To create a new project workspace (folder) and get write access to it, please send a mail to the Environmental Data Section at data@npolar.no.

2. Save the data in a project or programe workspace

For workspace names we normally recommend the form “XXXXX_Short_project_name”, where XXXXX is the 5-digit NPI project number.

All project workspaces will have the same 4 subfolders:

  • “Raw” or “source” for original data

  • “Processed” for data products derived from the original data

  • “Doc” for documentation

  • “Workspace” for all intermediate data versions and whatever else you need to preserve.

  • “Processed” for all data in the form and format as they should have before publishing.

  • “Data plans“: Under \\npdata\\project there is a subfolder named “Dataplaner”. In this you will find a couple of basic data management plan templates (.xltx) and subfolders for the programmes. Data plans (DMPs) will be compiled per NPI research programme by the programme leaders, except for Nansen Legacy projects. Nansen Legacy DMPs will be compiled by the Research Foci leads, following the programme template.

As opposed to N:\Forskning, the npdata server is a permanent INTERNAL data storage with a robust backup regime. N:\Forskning should be regarded as the “Cemetery of Forgotten Data” 😊 You might want to move existing data accordingly.

3. Publish your data

When your data are ready for publication, please make them citable and accessible to the outside world by publishing at https://data.npolar.no. Guidance is available at https://docs.data.npolar.no/content/how_to_publish.html