Frequently Asked Questions

If you can't find the answer you're looking for in the FAQs below, please get in touch, we're always happy to help.

For guidance on specific features and functionality of the Sustainable Digital Scholarship (SDS) platform, visit the Figshare User Guides. If you're a University of Oxford researcher, student or staff member, you'll also find information about research data management and the University's wider data management services at Research Data Oxford. 

Yes. The SDS service is available to researchers, students and staff across the University of Oxford. We provide advice on digital sustainability and can help you determine whether the SDS platform is the right solution for your project.

If the SDS platform is appropriate for your research, we'll discuss your requirements and provide a tailored quotation.

Whether you're developing a new research proposal or already managing an existing project, we offer a free initial consultation to discuss your requirements and how we can support your research data. 

Yes, we can provide advice on the digital sustainability aspects of your project and how the SDS service can support the management and preservation of your research data. We can also provide a standard statement about the SDS service for inclusion in grant applications and data management plans where appropriate.

For broader advice on preparing a data management plan, Oxford researchers, students and staff can access guidance and support on the Research Data Oxford pages. You can also use DMPonline, a free web-based tool for creating data management plans. 

No. Our advice is tailored to the needs of your project, and there's no obligation to use the SDS platform.

If the SDS service isn't the best fit for your data, we'll help you identify other suitable University of Oxford data management services, such as the Oxford University Research Archive (ORA), and advise you on the most appropriate option. 

Yes. The SDS service is a University of Oxford Small Research Facility (SRF) (SSO required), which means our charges are calculated using the University's TRAC (Transparent Approach to Costing) (SSO required) methodology. This enables our costs to be included in research grant applications to all funders and provides a transparent, fully auditable basis for costing.

We can provide tailored quotations for SDS service support, including services such as bulk data migration and project onboarding. Our costings can be included in applications to both external and internal funders, including the John Fell Fund (SSO required).

If you're planning a research project or preparing a grant application, please get in touch to discuss your requirements and request a quotation. 

The SDS platform is designed to support 'warm' research data: datasets that continue to be curated, enriched, shared and reused after their initial publication.

Unlike a traditional data archive, the SDS platform supports live datasets, allowing authorised users to make controlled updates and publish new versions while maintaining a stable, citable record. It also provides access to data at a granular record level, making it well suited to research that requires individual records to remain accessible, searchable and reusable over time. The platform supports collaboration with researchers at the University of Oxford and external collaborators.

As a managed University service, the SDS platform can be a practical alternative to developing and maintaining a bespoke database. Custom-built solutions often require ongoing investment in hosting, maintenance, software updates and technical support to remain secure and functional. With the SDS platform, these responsibilities are managed by the service through a transparent, University-supported cost model, helping you focus on your research rather than the infrastructure needed to support it. 

Yes. To use the SDS platform, you'll need to create an account.

Simply select 'Log in' from the top right-hand corner of the SDS platform and sign in using your University of Oxford Single Sign-On (SSO). Guidance on creating and managing your account is also available in our 'Create your account’ video.

External collaborators can create a free Figshare account or, if their institution has its own Figshare instance, sign in using their institutional account.

Please note that everyone using the SDS platform must agree to the Terms of Use. 

Research data can remain on the SDS platform for as long as it benefits from the services the platform provides. When a dataset no longer requires ongoing curation or access at a granular, record level, the SDS team will work with you to determine whether it is ready to be transferred to the Oxford Research Archive (ORA) for long-term archiving.

We will work with you, or your nominated Data Steward, to review your dataset and discuss when the time is right to archive it. We will never transfer your data without consulting you first. 

Research data published on the SDS platform is assigned a persistent Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and a stable, shareable URL, making it easy to cite and reference in publications and other research outputs.

If you're preparing a manuscript or grant application, you can reserve a DOI before your dataset is published. This allows you to reference your dataset before publication. If reviewers or funders need access to your data, you can also generate a private share link to provide secure access while your dataset remains unpublished. Once your dataset is published on the SDS platform, the reserved DOI becomes active and resolves to the published dataset record. You can find out more about this in the Figshare User Guide ‘How to publish a dataset at the same time as the associated paper’.

The SDS platform also supports versioned DOIs. When you publish changes to a dataset, a new version is created (for example, v1, v2 and v3) while maintaining the persistent DOI. Previous versions remain available and can be viewed through the dataset record, allowing researchers to track changes over time and cite the specific version used in their research where appropriate. 

The SDS platform is built on the Figshare platform and benefits from its robust security, storage and business continuity arrangements.

Research data stored on the SDS platform is securely backed up across multiple locations to help protect against data loss and support service continuity. The platform is managed and maintained to help ensure your data remains secure and available throughout its time on the SDS platform.

For more detailed information about how data is stored, backed up and protected, including the underlying infrastructure and security arrangements, please refer to the Figshare User Guide ‘How is my data stored, is it secure?’. 

We provide a range of training and self-service resources to help you get the most from the SDS platform.

If you're new to the platform, our Introduction video provides a quick overview of the key features and getting started or for more detailed guidance, you can explore our Self-help Library.

We also offer virtual introductory sessions for researchers and project teams, covering topics such as adding and managing data, collaborating with colleagues, and tailoring metadata to meet your project's requirements. To arrange a session to discuss your project, please get in touch.

The SDS platform is powered by Figshare, and the Figshare User Guides provide step-by-step instructions for using the platform. These cover topics including:

• uploading and publishing data;
• managing confidential and embargoed files;
• editing published records;
• reserving DOIs and generating private links;
• creating projects and collections; and
• managing storage and metadata.

You can also watch demonstrations of many of these features on the Figshare YouTube channel. 

Yes. Research data hosted on the SDS platform can be linked from any website using its persistent DOI or stable URL, providing a reliable way to direct users to your datasets, collections and other research outputs.

If your website is built using Fresco, the University of Oxford's web platform, you can also embed SDS content using the SDS-Figshare Web Gallery. Guidance on using the Web Gallery is available in our Self-help Library.

For more advanced integrations, research data hosted on the SDS platform can be accessed using the Figshare API to create custom visualisations and other bespoke applications. Support with these types of developments is available from Digital Scholarship @ Oxford (DiSc) and Oxford Research Software Engineering (OxRSE).

If you'd like to discuss the best way to integrate the SDS platform with your website, please get in touch. 

The SDS platform is not intended to replace a bespoke relational database. Projects that rely on complex relational database structures or advanced querying may be better suited to a dedicated database solution.

If you're unsure whether the SDS platform is the right fit for your project, we're happy to discuss your requirements and advise on the most appropriate solution.

The SDS platform is also not suitable for all types of research data. For information about the types of data that can and cannot be deposited, please refer to the Terms of Use.