Contribute Data

Thank you for considering a data contribution to the ISCN database. Please read our data policy.

Data contributions to the ISCN are ingested using a template with standardized variable names (and some controlled vocabularies). The template consists of individual worksheets in a Microsoft Excel-format spreadsheet file. Depending on the types of data you wish to contribute, you may remove variables (columns) or even entire worksheets. The files you will need to assemble a data contribution are below:

1. ISCNtemplate.xlsx– Data contribution template

2. TemplateSubmit.pdf– Guide to template structure and variable names

3. TemplateCVs.pdf– Lookup table for variables with controlled vocabularies

4. NEW: R scripts to automate ingestion or harmonization of data products. Read more here

5. Coming soon: synergies with the USGS Powell Center data template

We recommend contacting ISCN support before preparing a dataset for contribution, in order to discuss important details and to ensure that your time (and ours) is efficiently spent.

ISCN strongly encourages all contributors to assign a DOI to their unique dataset before contribution. A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a code used to permanently and unambiguously identify unique digital objects, which facilitates searchability, usability and due accreditation of data. There are many international organizations that issue DOI:s, including PANGAEA, a data publisher for Earth and Environmental Science (https://www.pangaea.de/). For more information about DOIs visit the International DOI Foundation (http://www.doi.org/).