It's Research Week, and UQ Library is launching a new Research Data Collections form in eSpace. The new form will allow researchers and research groups to describe their data according to good practice.

UQ eSpace can now support either open access or mediated access to your research data collections, and aid the discovery, dissemination and preservation of research data as a first class research output at UQ.

Having your research data described in eSpace will:

• make it visibile via search engines such as Google, as well as through national data repositories such as Research Data Australia
• create a record for that data under your My UQ eSpace profile (there is a new 'My Research Data' tab just for this purpose).
• enable you to build an index of your research data, and count the number of times it has been viewed and downloaded, therefore contributing to your research profile.

How can I use this new service?

There a few simple steps to adding your research data into UQ eSpace.

• Researchers need to provide a description of their data using the new eSpace data collections form. RIS librarians can also provide assistance with data descriptions - email data@library.uq.edu.au
• Ensure your data will be offered as either mediated access (by providing a contact for the data) or open access (by uploading the data or providing a link to the data).
• Make your data re-usable without any limiting software requirements
• If your school or department already stores your data in an existing repository, you can still fill in the data collections form and provide a link to the location of the data in the form.

Further information can be found in the FAQs tab in eSpace, and in a guidance document located on the main UQ eSpace page.