FAQs on depositing data with the UK Data Service

The deposit process is entirely online; you need a UK Data Service account to complete it.

If you are depositing large-scale population-representative data, you can deposit it in the UK Data Service curated repository. Further information is available in our deposit guide (PDF).

If you are depositing smaller-scale data, experimental data, or code and syntax you can deposit in the UK Data Service ReShare repository. Further information is available in our ReShare deposit video guide. ReShare also provides specific guidance for the upload process on the My Data web page.

Data collections accepted into the curated collection undergo additional curation processes. The Data Curation and Publishing team prepares the data in additional formats to meet user needs, curate the documentation and enhance the metadata for long-term preservation as well as to support re-use and discoverability. Further information about our curation processes is available on our Curated data repository: in-house pre-ingest checks and curation processes.

ReShare does not benefit from in-house, in-depth curation. All collections are reviewed for ethical and legal compliance and completeness. Additionally, the house style is applied, ensuring consistency across all collections. This includes adhering to standardised folder structures for logical organisation, formatting titles in title case, and adding standardised notes on access. Further information about the review procedures is available on our ReShare data review procedures web page.

Anyone can deposit their social science data with the UK Data Service. Deposits are usually from researchers, academic institutions, and organisations that produce data relevant to social science or related disciplines.

No, as long as your data collection is within our remit, it can be deposited with the UK Data Service regardless of funding status.

ESRC grant holders must deposit their collections with the UK Data Service or a responsible repository; if a collection is deposited with another responsible repository, a metadata record must be created in ReShare for discoverability and to enable compliance.

We accept digital data across the social sciences in line with our Collections Development Policy (PDF). Your data must comply with ethical, legal, and quality standards to be accepted for deposit. Data must be accompanied by supporting documentation and detailed metadata. Further information about preparing your collection for deposit is available on our prepare your data collection for deposit web page.

Code and syntax can also be deposited in the ReShare repository. Further information is available on our sharing syntax web page.

Metadata, also known as data about data, is information about your collection that ensures secondary researchers can effectively discover, understand and use your data. Metadata can be embedded directly in the data files, for example, the variable and value labels in an SPSS file or structured headings in a transcript. Metadata also includes more descriptive information at the study level, which we ask you to provide when depositing your data, such as an abstract, details about data collection methods and geographical coverage. This helps to describe your data collection consistently in our catalogue, ensuring it is Findable, Interoperable, Accessible and Reusable (FAIR).

You can deposit a wide range of data types including quantitative and qualitative data such as survey datasets, interview transcripts, and multimedia files like audio or video recordings, provided that they meet ethical and legal requirements and are in a recommended/acceptable format, and accompanied by supporting documentation.

Yes, you can deposit training datasets or synthetic data, provided the data falls within our remit. This includes ensuring that the data complies with relevant ethical, legal, and quality standards and aligns with the scope of the UK Data Service Collections Development Policy (PDF).

For synthetic data collections, we have prepared a guide on the minimal standard documentation (PDF) we expect to receive.

Yes, you retain full ownership of your data. The UK Data Service is a custodian of the data, preserving and disseminating collections to secondary users in accordance with the access level negotiated.

Depositing with the UK Data Service is free of charge.

Data are classified according to their level of detail, sensitivity and confidentiality. Appropriate data handling and access safeguards can be implemented including restricting access to certain user types and for certain project types. We provide a three-tier licence and access framework. Further information is available on our licensing and access framework web page. Controlled access is only available for curated quantitative collections.

The Deposit Licence Agreement (PDF) should be signed by the owner of the data collection, or in the case of institutions or organisations, it should be signed by a person authorised by that institution or organisation to sign such agreements. Please note that the deposit licence agreement is signed online, so the signatory will need a UK Data Service account.

Yes, anonymised usage reports are available for safeguarded or controlled data. For data deposited via our self-repository ReShare, please see the Metrics page. For data deposited in the curated repository, please contact our Collections Development team. For open datasets that do not require registration, we can only provide basic information on the number of downloads.

Yes, updates are possible for either data or documentation additions. If a new edition is required for a curated collection, contact our Collections Development team. If a new version is required for a ReShare collection, contact our ReShare team.

If minimal changes are needed to the metadata, such as changes to the abstract or additions of publications, our team can make those updates directly. Contact the relevant team based on the repository hosting your collection.

For a curated collection, contact our Collections Development team. For a ReShare collection, contact our ReShare team. Please include the details of the collection(s) such as the title(s) and the DOI(s) and the new contact details.

If you require changes to your UK Data Service account, please contact our Helpdesk using our online help form for other queries.

If your account expires, your completed published deposits will not be affected and will remain accessible to users as normal. We do not transfer completed deposits from one account to another, however if new editions or new versions are needed for curated collections, contact our Collections Development team. For ReShare collections, contact our ReShare team.

Yes, at the UK Data Service we use Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for all collections we host.

Dissemination embargos are possible and we suggest a 12-month embargo period. Please contact us if ethical protocols require a longer embargo period.

For collections deposited into our curated collection, it can take up to 30 working days for quantitative data and 35 working days for qualitative data collection to be released.

For collections deposited in our ReShare repository, it can take up to 15 working days.

Please note that where there are queries around the materials submitted which need to be raised with the depositor during this time, the timeframe may be extended.

The role of the UK Data Service is to ensure that data collections are available in perpetuity to enable future research and to support reproducibility across decades. However, you remain the owner of the data collection with the right to request its withdrawal at any time.

There is no strict maximum size for data files. However, if you are depositing more than 5GB of data:

• For curated collections, please contact our Collections Development team to discuss the best approach to transferring the data.
• For ReShare, please split your data into bundles of up to 5GB to ensure these can be easily downloaded by secondary researchers.

We offer detailed information for researchers in our Learning Hub’s research data management section, including guidelines about consent and ethics, copyright, documenting, formatting, and storing your data. These resources are designed to support researchers throughout the research data lifecycle.

Additionally, we host a variety of free training and events to support researchers in managing and preparing their data for deposit.

Deposits made either in the Curated or Reshare repositories, are only visible to the designated depositor who completed the submission. If a deposit is made by another individual on your behalf, it will not appear in your account, even if your name is associated with the data collection.

Deposits are linked to the original depositor’s account. If the account becomes inactive or expires, previous deposits will not appear in the new account.

This does not affect the publication or accessibility of the deposited data collection itself. The data collections remain published and accessible as intended.

If changes are required to published collections please check our “Can I update or add to my data collection after depositing it?” FAQ.

For collections deposited in our curated repository, our user support team will advise users based on the documentation provided when the collection was deposited. If the query cannot be answered, we will contact the depositor on the user’s behalf. The user will not be able to contact the depositors, or anyone associated with the deposit unless explicit permission is given by the depositor.

For collections deposited in our ReShare repository, users might get in touch with you directly as the contact information is provided in the metadata record.

You can contact our Collections Development team with any questions about depositing data with the UK Data Service not covered in our FAQs.

You can contact our ReShare team with specific questions about ReShare.