Fairdata detailed service description

Public Detailed service description

The Fairdata Services consist of the following:

• Fairdata IDA:
  • Users can store research data and related materials before they’re published as a dataset.
  • All CSC project members have the same technical rights to upload, manage, freeze and delete data in the IDA service, and describe and publish the data using Qvain or Metax API.
  • Users can share data outside the service with temporary share links. Users can protect the share link with a password.
  • Users must freeze and publish stored data as discoverable datasets in Fairdata Etsin, using Qvain or Metax API. Only frozen files can be described and published. When dataset is published, the dataset metadata is made publicly available, but access to files stored in IDA may be restricted by users, so that the files are still only accessible to the CSC project members who are using the IDA service.
  • Integrity of frozen files is monitored by the service; multiple copies are made and checksums generated.
  • Published and accessible datasets are stored continuously unless otherwise agreed, as defined in the Fairdata Terms of Use.
• Fairdata Qvain:
  • Tool for describing and publishing research datasets descriptions (metadata). Data can be located in Fairdata IDA or outside Fairdata services.
  • Owners of the data decide data openness, licensing and usage policy. Published dataset metadata is made public in Etsin and is licensed under CC0.
  • Metadata can be edited by original describers, CSC project members and organization metadata administrators. Metadata editing rights can be shared to other registered CSC users.
• Fairdata Etsin:
  • Provides search functionality for published datasets and offers landing pages for datasets with persistent identifiers.
  • Metadata is openly browsable. Provides data download function based on user-defined access rights.
• Fairdata Metax:
  • Shared metadata repository for Fairdata Services.
  • Provides APIs for storing and retrieving dataset metadata, including a public API for published dataset metadata and an API for authenticated service and end users for storing, updating and accessing own datasets’ metadata
  • Serves as a data source for other services such as Research.fi portal. Integration to Metax can be made from other repositories to collect dataset metadata, if so agreed with the Services.
• Other functionalities
  • Anonymous usage statistics provide information for planning and monitoring service usage, and for monitoring dataset views and downloads.

Restrictions:

• Fairdata Services are intended for research data and associated materials, and are not suitable for temporary use or for data that is not actual research data.
• If a user or customer organization deletes data from the services, the deleted data cannot be recovered. Published metadata available in Etsin will still remain for data that is deleted from the Fairdata IDA service. Landing page serves as tombstone page if dataset is removed.
• The data download functionality provided by Fairdata Etsin does not support continuous, automated downloads.

Certifications

None.

User content including personal data in the Service

User must evaluate whether this Service is suitable for their purpose. Please pay attention to special categories of personal data.

When CSC processes personal data in CSC’s services on behalf of the controller, we always require a personal data processing agreement.  The user creates the description of processing activities in MyCSC customer portal. Data Processing Agreement. 

Technical and organisational security measures for protection of personal data.

The Service do not assert ownership or any intellectual property rights to users or customers organisations’ content in the services.

Client’s responsibilities

User must follow all the Terms of Use that apply using the Service.

Client is responsible for:

• verifying data integrity upon transfer when uploading data into Fairdata IDA and freezing the data in the IDA service.
• requesting a suitable amount of IDA storage space from the quota granter organization.
• managing dataset descriptions, including data access rights.
• handling data download requests, if published data is not openly accessible.
• information security, restricting access to data as needed, and providing additional protection by e.g. pseudonymizing personal data.
• ensuring that the content they have stored or transmitted through Fairdata Services complies with all applicable laws and regulations and that the provided information is accurate, good quality, comprehensive, and up-to-date.

When importing dataset metadata into Fairdata Metax from a source repository:

• a persistent identifier for dataset is required in the source repository.
• metadata must be compatible with Metax’s data model; conversions may be needed.
• source repository needs to plan and implement the import with CSC’s Fairdata Service Support and appoint a contact person for dataset import matters.

Service producer’s responsibilities

The service producer ensures that the service is available to customers as described in the service description. 

The service producer is responsible for producing and developing the Service.

Service producer

CSC – IT Center for Science Ltd.

Service provider

Ministry of Education and Culture.

Last updated

2025-06-13