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Data Curation Workflow for Total Beginners

A high level workflow guide for curating research datasets as a brand new curator in an institutional repository.

High Level Workflow

Ingest the Data
  1. Add the publication request details to your internal ingest records.
  2. Ingest the publication bag by running your transfer codes or manual processes. Check your archival service for successful bag transfer.
Find the Point Person
  1. Determine which curator will lead the curation process by assigning the request to that person.
  2. Start an institution client interaction record (if applicable) and start a Provenance Log to record any changes or steps taken by you or your fellow curators. Keep in mind context for future curators as you describe changes and edits.
Edit the Dataset
  1. Review and curate the dataset, taking note of any needed changes, including recommending any current WCAG accessibility updates to the dataset.
  2. Email depositor with the needed or suggested changes. Allow them to make the changes or get their approval to make the changes on their behalf.
  3. Suggest depositor attaches a metadata rich README file or create and attach one manually to the dataset.
  4. After all the changes have been implemented, check the dataset one last time for all the agreed-upon changes.
  5. Publish the dataset to your institutional data repository.
  6. Send depositor a follow up email informing them of the published dataset. If applicable, also send them the citation, DOI, and manuscript-friendly data availability statement.
Archive the Data
  1. Add the finished publication details to your internal publication records.
  2. Complete your Provenance Log and save your email correspondence. Add both items to a curation actions and services folder to be archived with the final publication bag.
  3. Send the publication bag through your transfer codes or manual processes to your archival service. Check for successful bag transfer.
  4. Add the final details to the institution client record.
  5. Copy the ingest and publication .tar files to an external hard drive or additional on-site storage service.

Workflow Diagram