We build software to support the research community's data curation and preservation needs.
The Data Conservancy is a growing community that is developing software using industry best practices, the open archival information system (OAIS) reference model, service-oriented architecture (SOA), meta-data standards, and much more. Below are some examples of the key features of the DC system. Interested in the details of setting up your own Data Conservancy (DC) Instance? Download the Blueprint Document..
Key Features of the DataConservancy Software
Advanced Queries
The Feature Extraction Framework allows data from multiple projects to be brought together through key integrative characteristics, such as the presence of spatial, temporal or taxonomic data structures. Additional data services, such as web-map services, sub-setting and other features can be added to the system as needed. Each instance has the opportunity to custom build their own features.
Discipline Agnostic
Users of a DC instance will have access to a cross-disciplinary data curation system that facilitates data discovery and integration. Data within an instance can be broadly advertised using a variety of discipline specific and industry standard mechanisms, making it visible in a variety of external catalogs and registries, greatly expanding the user base for data stored within the instance.
Interoperable Data Access
Data input and output requests submitted by users are fulfilled by the appropriate API transferring data to and from the archival services. The APIs also allow external services or systems to interact with data within the instance to provide discipline specific services as value-adding features.
Data As Primary Objects
The DC software system has been designed specifically as an archival repository and access system for data. As such, the DC instance has capabilities beyond what either institutional repositories or disciplinary data repositories provide.
Existing Integrations with External Systems
NSIDC Pilot
Antarctica Dry Valleys Glacier Photographs
The Data Conservancy curates a large number of images, some of which include images of glaciers in Antarctica. NSIDC provides access to the glacier images via their Glacier Photo Collection, periodically harvesting the metadata for these images from the DC and adding new images to their interface. Users may request these images, which are then retrieved from the DC instance at JHU. The NSIDC pilot uses the search and access APIs, which allow “read-only” functions
arXiv.org Pilot
arXiv.org Pre-Print Repository
Authors submit a paper for publication, along with their data, to arXiv.org. Upon receipt, the article remains with the arXiv system, while the data are deposited to the JHU Data Conservancy Instance. A bi-directional link is established between the paper in arXiv and the data in Data Conservancy. The arXiv pilot uses the search, access, and ingest APIs.