FAIR Principles & Access

Yes, we actively advocate for open research data and our philosophy has always been based on the FAIR principles of data being findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.

Findable: DaSCH is registered with the large repository registries and offers a metadata browser.

Accessible: we follow an open data strategy, whereby all archived datasets are freely accessible by default.

Interoperable: we offer an open source API that implements linked open data standards such as RDF, RDFS, OWL and SHACL. Images are accessible according to the IIIF standard. All source code and documentation is freely accessible on GitHub.

Reusable: we enforce consistency checks and annotation, with every resource receiving a citable persistent ARK identifier.

Learn more:

• FAIR and CARE Principles
• About DaSCH

Yes, every project and all resources within it receives an archival resource key (ARK) that can be cited in academic publications, in the form of a URL that remains reachable even if you make changes to the original data. Everyone can see and access your data, unless you restrict its visibility yourself. If there are parts of the data you do not want to be publicly accessible, e.g. because they are unpublished, we can offer an embargo of one to two years, after which everyone can access the data.

Learn more:

• Glossary of Terms
• FAIR and CARE Principles

We offer several options for permissions to view and/or edit your data. For example, an image can be hidden, visible or even editable for users who are not logged in. Additionally, access to the data can be restricted for non-project staff. Even when data access is restricted, metadata can remain visible so that other researchers can discover your dataset and contact you about access.

We also offer embargo functionality for your data set. However, please note that SNSF-funded projects have stricter requirements - see our FAQ on SNSF embargo policy for details.

For projects without SNSF funding constraints, embargo periods of up to two years are technically possible, during which your data is only visible to project members. This feature is useful for projects that want to cite their data set but don't want it to be publicly available prior to publication.

Learn more:

• Permissions Guide
• SNSF Embargo Policy

Yes, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has fundamentally changed its embargo policy for research data. Researchers funded by SNSF must be aware of these updated requirements when planning data publication timelines.

Key policy changes:

• SNSF no longer accepts 2-year embargo periods for research data
• Research data must be made openly accessible "as soon as possible, at the latest together with the relevant scientific publication" (SNSF regulation IR 11.8)
• Embargo periods are now permitted only under exceptional circumstances requiring explicit justification in the Data Management Plan (DMP)
• Since January 2023, SNSF removed embargo periods entirely for scientific articles

When restrictions are necessary:

Even when data access must be restricted for legitimate reasons (legal, ethical, contractual), researchers must still publish:

• Complete metadata describing the dataset
• Documentation explaining methodologies
• Code and analysis scripts used

The goal is to ensure reproducibility and enable other researchers to understand and potentially verify findings, even when the underlying data cannot be immediately shared.

Planning ahead:

If restrictions on data access are needed, researchers should clearly document these requirements and their justifications in their DMP when applying for SNSF funding.

For complete details, see the SNSF Open Research Data policy.

Learn more:

• FAIR and CARE Principles

No, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) expects researchers to deposit actual research data, not just metadata descriptions. Creating a metadata record that points to "data available upon request" does not fulfill SNSF's Open Research Data requirements.

What SNSF requires:

SNSF's Open Research Data policy emphasizes reproducibility and verification. Simply cataloging that data exists is not sufficient - the data itself must be deposited in a repository where other researchers can access it.

When data access must be restricted:

Even when legal, ethical, or contractual restrictions prevent immediate open access to data, researchers must still share:

• Code and analysis scripts used to process and analyze data
• Documentation explaining data collection and processing methodologies
• Detailed metadata describing the dataset's structure and content
• Access procedures explaining how qualified researchers can request access

These materials enable other researchers to understand the research process and assess the validity of findings, even if they cannot immediately access the raw data.

FAIR compliance:

SNSF requires FAIR-compliant data deposits (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). This means data must be deposited in recognized repositories with proper documentation, persistent identifiers, and clear access conditions - not simply described in a metadata catalog.

For complete requirements, see the SNSF Open Research Data policy.

Learn more:

• FAIR and CARE Principles

A typical paper or monograph in the Humanities contains only a small part of the data that was assembled during the project phase. All too often, the rest stays on a personal computer for some years before falling into oblivion. But this can be improved: If you decide to archive your entire dataset in a repository like DaSCH, this will

• increase the visibility of your research.
• make it easier for other researchers to pick up on your publication, so you will be cited more often.
• boost Humanities as a whole: Other researchers won't need to waste months collecting data that you have already collected.

Learn more:

• About DaSCH
• FAIR and CARE Principles