User Guide#

For portal users who add and edit research data in FairDM portals.

Note

This guide is for people who contribute data and metadata to an existing FairDM portal. If you want to contribute to the FairDM framework itself (code, documentation, examples), see the Contributing Guide for framework contributors.

Your Role#

As a portal user, you will:

  • Access and browse research data: Search and view projects, datasets, samples, and measurements

  • Contribute data: Add and edit research data entries in the portal

  • Follow FAIR practices: Understand and provide required metadata to ensure data quality and reusability

  • Manage your account: Configure your profile and authentication settings

Why FAIR Metadata Matters#

FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) ensure that research data remains valuable beyond the immediate project. When you contribute data:

  • Findable: Proper metadata helps others discover your data via search engines and data repositories

  • Accessible: Clear descriptions and persistent identifiers make it easy to retrieve and cite data

  • Interoperable: Standardized fields allow data to be combined with other datasets

  • Reusable: Well-documented data enables future research and verification

Your role as a contributor is essential: accurate, complete metadata entry directly improves the quality and impact of the research.

What You’ll Find Here#

This guide helps you:

  • Create and manage your account

  • Understand the core data structures (Projects, Datasets, Samples, Measurements)

  • Learn how to add and edit data while following FAIR metadata practices

  • Navigate the portal effectively

Account Management

Contributing Data