Data Custodian: FAQs

Who remains responsible for the data? 

Publishing metadata on the Gateway does not transfer ownership or control of the underlying data to the Gateway. The Data Custodian retains responsibility for its Dataset & BioSample metadata, the data itself, and its governance arrangements. 

I need to change permissions/or add someone to my Team, how do I do this? 

Sign into the Gateway and navigate to your Team via the icon in the top-right of the website. On the ‘Team members’ page, assign Team members particular roles by checking the relevant box next to your Team member’s name. To remove a role, just click the check box again. If you are unable to add/change the permissions, it means you do not have sufficient permissions to make the change. Contact your Team Admin. 

Team Admins can add new Team members by clicking on ‘+ Add a new member’ button at the top of the page. 

In the dialog box, simply type in the name of the person you want to add to the Team and assign the permissions. (Note: the user you want to add must have created a Gateway account first) 

How do I set up notifications for my Team? 

Sign into the Gateway and navigate to your Team via the icon in the top-right of the website. Navigating to the ‘Notifications’ menu option allows you to change personal notification settings as well as those for your Team. 

Use the toggles to enable/disable notifications sent to specific contact addresses and click ‘save’ at the bottom of the page. 

How do I know who in my Team is receiving enquiries? 

Anyone within your Data Custodian Team who has ‘Data Access Manager’ (DAR) permissions will receive enquiries (general or feasibility). 

What makes a good dataset or biosample record? 

A good record should help a Researcher answer one fundamental question: “Could this dataset or biosamples be relevant to my research?” 

Useful information includes: 

• A clear title 

• A concise description 

• Population size or number of records 

• Geographic coverage 

• Date range 

• Time to dataset access 

• Access request cost 

• Structural metadata/a data dictionary 

• Demographic information 

• Data types 

• Dataset status 

• Linkage information, where appropriate 

• Contact information 

• Related datasets or Collections 

What if the dataset is no longer active? 

In the first instance please contact the Gateway Team with relevant information. 

Then update the Dataset & BioSample record to reflect its status. 

Where appropriate, explain whether: 

• Data collection has ended 

• Applications are no longer being accepted 

• The dataset has moved 

• The dataset has been replaced 

• A newer version is available 

Accurate status information prevents Researchers from pursuing outdated opportunities. 

How do I delete a Dataset I no longer need? 

It is not possible to delete a Dataset & BioSample entry. However, you can change the status of a dataset to ‘archived’, and it will no longer be visible to user searching the Gateway. The Dataset & BioSampe can be archived by heading to the ‘Datasets’ management page (via your Team), next to the dataset you wish to archive you will see a button to the right-hand side with a “downwards” arrow – click and it will archive the dataset for you and remove from its public view. 

How do publications get linked to my dataset when I haven’t set that connection? 

Publications can be linked to datasets on the HDR Gateway, even if the Data Custodian has not manually created the association. Publications can be linked automatically when a DOI is provided in the Dataset & BioSample metadata or when a Data Custodian or Researcher uploads a Publication to the Gateway and links it to a Dataset & BioSample. These links help Researchers understand how Datasets & BioSamples are being referenced and used in research. Researchers can also search potentially related Publications via Europe PMC, using the Dataset & BioSample title as keywords in the search. These potential relations are not stored in the Gateway.