Submission Guidelines

Data can be contributed to the Astromaterials Data Archive in any format, but needs to be documented with relevant information regarding the analytical data quality. Please confirm that your dataset follows the below requirements and suggestions. Incomplete datasets will take longer to process and publish.

File Format

  • We strongly recommend the use of data submission templates found at Templates. You may contribute data in any format, but tabular data must be in .csv, .xls, .xlsx or .txt. Data which does not meet the Astromaterials Data Archive Submission Guidelines takes longer to process or may be rejected.

Data & Metadata

  • All analytes, units, and methods must be clearly stated and defined. Relevant standards, reference measurements, and additional information about laboratory and instrument should also be included when possible.
  • Every analyte must be linked to a sample with a name
  • For Primary Analytical Metadata, the minimum metadata required is [Technique]-[Instrument]-[Laboratory]. You will assign method codes (numerical values) within the templates to identify how individual analytes were measured. If you have multiple parameters analyzed on the same machine using the same technique, in the same lab, both parameters will have the same method number (code). Example: Sr and Nd measured using VG Sector 54 TIMS at the University of Columbia would have method code 1, but Sr and Nd measured on Thermo Fisher ICP-MS at the University of Columbia would both have method code 2.

References
If submitting a compilation dataset, the Astromaterials Data Archive requires a reference sheet or tab with full citations of all referred publications.

Title

Your dataset title must contain concise and descriptive information about the content of the dataset (the “what” and “where”, for example “Petrography, major and trace element compositions, and Ar isotopic ages for 30 impact glasses from Apollo 16 regolith 66031”). If submitting data from a publication, the dataset title may be the same as your publication title, but likely will be different since your AstroRepo dataset will paint a different story than your full publication.

Abstract

Your abstract must describe in full sentences the measurements, location, and purpose of the dataset. Avoid abbreviations and acronyms and include relevant keywords, for example “This dataset contains photographs, size characteristics, major and trace element concentrations, and argon isotopic data with ages for a suite of 30 regolith impact glasses from Apollo 16 soil 66031. The purpose of the dataset is to document characteristics that allow relationships between age and compositions of lunar impact glasses to be investigated.”.

By default, the release date is set to the date after the submission date. If this is not desirable, you may select a release date within the next two years. Every approved Astromaterials Data Archive dataset receives a DOI and is searchable in the Archive, even if the release date has not yet been reached. This allows investigators to submit datasets in compliance with data management policies of funding agencies and journals without releasing the actual data immediately.

  •  Include as much documentation as possible, taking particular care to include unique identifiers such as related publication DOIs, Apollo Sample Numbers, MetBull Meteorite Names, etc.
  • We strongly encourage US-based researchers to link their NASA or other award numbers with their datasets. This will allow tracking of datasets by Award number and show compliance with Data Management policies of funding agencies.
  • Make sure your uploaded file is in its final form – the Astromaterials Data Archive is a long-term repository, treat the dataset submission like a journal article submission. Once a file has been released for public access, it cannot be changed, instead you would have to publish a new version with a new DOI.

  1. Go to the Astromaterials Data Archive Submission Page.
  2. Sign in through your ORCID ID (recommended) or GeoPass. GeoPass provides you with sign-in credentials (email and password) for IEDA data systems, including the EarthChem Library and SESAR.
  3. Complete the submission form and upload your file(s) following the requirements above.
  4. Click “submit”.

The Astromaterials Data Archive is a curated file repository. You will receive your dataset DOI only after your files and submission has been reviewed and accepted. Please keep in mind that this entire process can take up to two weeks. Complete datasets following all requirements are often published within a few business days. We reserve right to promote accepted datasets through social media channels.

by JDF

Templates

Astromaterials Data Archive Template

We strongly recommend the use of the Astromaterials Data Archive template, which expedites dataset publication. If the template does not fit your data type, you may suggest a new template that complies with our metadata guidelines. Please contact us at info@astromat.org.

by JDF

Astromaterials Data Archive Overview

The Astromaterials Data Archive is a trusted repository service for researchers to publish and archive astromaterials sample data and openly share their data in compliance with Open Data policies of funding agencies and publishers. Dataset files can be easily submitted via a web interface and can be kept under moratorium for up to two years. The repository links the datasets to related publications and NASA award numbers and uses policies in compliance with the EarthChem Library.

Submit Data
Search Data

What to contribute

We welcome contributions of a broad range of extraterrestrial data, including but not limited to, compositional data for samples of lunar rocks, meteorites, minerals, melt and fluid inclusions, and more; geochemical synthesis datasets; geochronological data; petrographic descriptions of samples; kinetic data from geochemical and petrological experiments.

You may contribute data in any format, but tabular data must be in .csv, .xls, .xlsx or .txt. We strongly recommend the use of data templates, which expedites dataset publication. Data which does not meet the Astromaterials Data Archive Submission Guidelines takes longer to process or may be rejected.

by JDF