Data Deposit Policy

All data depositors are encouraged to consult with the Cornell Data Services in order to take advantage of their data curation services.

In addition to the general content policy requirements, datasets may be accessed and preserved in eCommons, subject to the following conditions:

  • The size of each individual file associated with a data set is within the limits of current eCommons Content Collection Policy. Cornell researchers, especially those with quantities of data that exceed the limits of current policy, are strongly encouraged to consult with the Cornell Data Services to determine whether eCommons is an appropriate repository for their data.
  • By default, material deposited in eCommons will be openly accessible worldwide over the Web.
  • The owner/author will make a reasonable effort to use recommended file formats to maximize likelihood of preservation.
  • It is strongly encouraged that datasets include supporting metadata to facilitate understanding and re-use. This can be in the form of a readme file, or other standardized format.
  • It is strongly encouraged that you explicitly state what others can and can’t do with your work by applying a license to it. Please refer to the Cornell Data Services’s Introduction to intellectual property rights in data management for more information.

Curation Service Data Policy

  • Data will be published in eCommons, according to the eCommons Alteration and Withdrawal Policy and the Preservation Support Policy. 
  • During the curation process, draft copies of the data/code files (the “submission package”) will be stored in Box, accessible only to the submitter and curators. 
  • After publishing the dataset on eCommons, the submission package will be stored in Box for 6 years, then deleted. 
  • Submission packages above 50GB will be kept in Box only until completion of the curation process. After curation is complete and the files are uploaded, the submission package will be deleted; curators will not retain any additional backups of the unpublished data.

Language for Data Management and Sharing Plans

Cornell researchers planning to use eCommons as a component of their data management plan (subject to the above conditions) may include the following language in the plan:

[Specify datasets, e.g. original raw data that is eligible for public access] will be made available using eCommons@Cornell (https://ecommons.cornell.edu), an institutional repository service of the Cornell University Library that provides long-term access to a broad range of Cornell-related digital content of enduring value. Items in eCommons are openly accessible via the Internet, are issued DOIs for easy citation, and are registered with the DataCite metadata aggregator to facilitate discovery.

How to Link to Data in eCommons

Once a dataset has been deposited in eCommons, be sure to use the DOI (displayed on the item page, with the format https://doi.org/10.7298/NNNN-NNNN), or if you did not request a DOI, use the handle (also displayed on the item page, with the format https://hdl.handle.net/1813/NNNNN), to reference the dataset in data availability statements and publications. More information on persistent identifiers in eCommons.