Data Archival

The IPCC Data Distribution Centre supports TG-DATA on the curation, traceability, stability, availability and transparency of data and scenarios related to the reports of the IPCC.

MetadataWorks has recently joined the IPCC DDC and is responsible for the archival of data related to the Working Group 2 (WG2) report.

This document is intended to provide guidance to WG3 authors on the process and system for metadata curation and data archival.

This wiki site contains all the instructions required to:

• Log on to the MetadataWorks Data Onboarding System

• Create a new metadata record in the data onboarding system

• Complete the fields of the metadata record for Working Group 2, including:

  • How to add or create a DOI

• Document and upload structural metadata

• Submit final clean files for data archival

• Submit your metadata records for review

Hints and Tips for Populating your metadata record:

To create data records, we will use the MetadataWorks “Onboarder” tool. This tool is a secure, purpose-built web application for collating and curating metadata.

Features of the system are:

• The application enables you to create and save a draft metadata record in the system and to return to the draft and edit it as required before its publication.

• The system provides guidance on what to include in a metadata record, and validation on the metadata entered.

Once you’ve created your metadata record, it's just a matter of filling out as much detail as you can provide for each of the metadata fields.

As you work through this, keep these things in mind

• Navigate through the metadata specification:

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  using either the header tabs of the form above or the continue button at the bottom of each page

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• Save regularly:

  The Onboarder is a web application, and you could lose connectivity whilst completing the metadata fields. To avoid this, click the ‘Save Changes’ button in the top right-hand corner regularly.

• Use the information icons to find out more about each metadata attribute:

  This “i” symbol will reveal a pop-up describing the requirements for the metadata field (example below). For further information and frequently asked questions, click the “?” button to link to the IPCC Metadata Knowledge base.

• Not all metadata fields will be relevant to all data: If you are concerned that some of the fields request metadata that is not applicable or available for your dataset, you can leave these fields blank.

• Metadata in the system is version controlled: If following publication, the data or the metadata change, or more metadata becomes available, the system enables users to create a new draft version of the data, make changes, and re-submit the new version for review and publication.

• Use the Overview page to track your metadata progress: the first page on the onboarding screen will provide an overview of the status of each metadata field: Green = complete, Red = Incomplete.