Core dataset metadata profile

Use this profile to prepare a consistent core metadata record for a research dataset. It covers dataset identification, creators and institutions, scientific context, access and reuse conditions, related research outputs and essential technical information.

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Resource information

Resource type

Metadata profile template

Intended users

Researchers, data curators, data stewards and repository managers

Recommended use

Dataset preparation, repository deposit, cataloguing and FAIR assessment

Status

Recommended core profile of the Competence Center

Download the metadata profile

Select the format that best matches your workflow. XLSX and DOCX are intended for manual preparation and review. JSON is suitable for machine-readable records and automated workflows.

Available formats

Download XLSX Download CSV Download JSON View reference PDF

What is a core metadata profile?

A core metadata profile defines the minimum set of descriptive, administrative and technical information needed to identify, understand, cite, discover and reuse a research dataset.

It provides a common starting point that can be used across scientific disciplines. Domain-specific metadata may be added when more detailed information about methods, instruments, materials, software or disciplinary concepts is required.

Core and domain-specific metadata are complementary

The core profile records information that is relevant to almost every dataset. A domain-specific profile extends it with fields required by a particular scientific discipline or workflow.

What the profile covers

The profile organises dataset-level metadata into four practical documentation areas.

Identification and citation

Dataset title, resource type, version, publication year, persistent identifier, recommended citation and responsible publisher or repository.

Creators and organisations

Creators, contributors, responsible contact, institutional affiliations, ORCID identifiers, ROR identifiers and research group information.

Scientific context and relationships

Description, keywords, scientific domain, methods, funding, related publications, software, projects, workflows and other research outputs.

Access, rights and reuse

Access conditions, licence, rights holder, sensitive-data status, file formats, temporal or spatial coverage and information needed for reuse.

Recommended core metadata fields

Required fields provide the minimum record. Recommended and conditional fields should be completed whenever they apply to the dataset.

Field	Status	Purpose	Example
`title`	Required	Full title of the dataset	Simulation data for silicon carbide structures
`resource_type`	Required	Type of the described research output	Dataset
`creators`	Required, repeatable	Persons or organisations primarily responsible for the dataset	Petrenko, Olena
`creator_orcid`	Recommended, repeatable	Persistent identifier of a creator	0000-0002-1825-0097
`affiliations`	Recommended, repeatable	Institutional affiliation of a creator or contributor	National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
`affiliation_ror`	Recommended	Persistent identifier of an organisation	ROR identifier
`description`	Required	Summary of the content, purpose and scope of the dataset	Input and output data from DFT calculations...
`keywords`	Recommended, repeatable	Terms supporting discovery and subject indexing	silicon carbide; DFT; materials science
`scientific_domain`	Recommended	Broad disciplinary or subject classification	Materials science
`dates`	Recommended, repeatable	Relevant dates such as created, collected, updated or issued	Created: 2026-04-12
`version`	Recommended	Version of the dataset or data package	1.0
`identifier`	Required at publication	DOI or another persistent dataset identifier	10.xxxx/example.dataset
`related_identifiers`	Recommended, repeatable	Links to related publications, software, datasets or projects	Related article DOI
`funding_reference`	Recommended, repeatable	Funding body, grant or project associated with the dataset	Project name and grant number
`methods`	Recommended	Short description of data collection, creation or processing	Density functional theory calculations...
`formats`	Recommended, repeatable	Main file formats included in the dataset	CSV; JSON; XYZ
`access_rights`	Required	Conditions under which the dataset can be accessed	Open
`licence`	Required	Licence or rights statement governing reuse	CC BY 4.0
`contact_point`	Recommended	Contact for questions about the dataset	data.contact@example.org
`sensitive_data`	Conditional	Indicates whether the dataset contains restricted or sensitive information	No

Minimum metadata record

At minimum, the record should identify the dataset, its creators, resource type and content, and should state the access and reuse conditions.

Recommended minimum fields: title, resource_type, creators, description, access_rights and licence.

A persistent identifier should be added when the dataset is deposited and published.

How to use the profile

1. Identify

Enter the dataset title, resource type, version and responsible creators.

2. Describe

Explain the dataset content, purpose, scientific context and methods.

3. Connect

Add identifiers for persons, organisations, projects and related outputs.

4. Define reuse

Specify access conditions, licence, formats and any restrictions.

5. Check

Verify consistency with the README, manifest and repository metadata.

Example metadata record

The following simplified example shows how the core fields can be represented in a machine-readable form.

{
  "title": "Simulation data for silicon carbide structures",
  "resource_type": "Dataset",
  "creators": [
    {
      "name": "Petrenko, Olena",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1825-0097",
      "affiliation": "National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine"
    }
  ],
  "description": "Input and output data from density functional theory calculations.",
  "keywords": [
    "silicon carbide",
    "DFT",
    "materials science"
  ],
  "version": "1.0",
  "formats": [
    "text/csv",
    "application/json"
  ],
  "access_rights": "open",
  "licence": "CC BY 4.0",
  "related_identifiers": [
    {
      "identifier": "10.xxxx/example.article",
      "relation_type": "IsSupplementTo"
    }
  ]
}

Important notes

Use the same dataset title, creator names, identifiers, version and licence in the metadata profile, README and repository record.
Enter creators in a consistent form and provide ORCID identifiers whenever available.
Use persistent organisation identifiers when they are available.
Use controlled vocabularies and recognised subject terms whenever possible.
Clearly distinguish a related publication, software package, workflow, project and previous dataset version.
Do not include confidential personal information in publicly accessible metadata.
Metadata may remain publicly visible even when access to the data files is restricted.
Update the metadata when the dataset version, content, access conditions or related outputs change.