The DSBU is committed to supporting all FBM UNIL-CHUV researchers in meeting reporting standards and fulfilling data-sharing policy requirements set by funding agencies and UNIL/CHUV. We strongly encourage researchers to make their supplementary files and key (meta)data openly accessible through appropriate data repositories.
Publishers may request authors to submit key research data supporting figures and tables in long-term access formats, along with suitable metadata, to data repositories during the manuscript submission or review process. While under review, researchers can upload data files with restricted access, ensuring only journal editors and reviewers have visibility. Data repositories will assign a DOI to make the data uniquely citable. Including the dataset in the publication’s reference list enhances its discoverability in the future. Once the manuscript is accepted, open access and data sharing will require approval from the original file depositor.
FBM UNIL-CHUV researchers wishing to deposit and provide free Open Access to their unstructured data via generalist repositories like Zenodo (FBM/CHUV community) or Dryad are encouraged to contact the DSBU. We offer expert guidance on FAIR data sharing, helping researchers increase the visibility of their work. Our team has extensive experience in metadata standards, readme file, file formats for long-term storage, data reuse, copyright and licensing policies. Additionally, we provide regular training sessions on these topics, and researchers are encouraged to check our calendar for upcoming events link.
For discipline-specific data repositories, our consulting service helps researchers identify the most appropriate repository and ensures compliance with all relevant FAIR standards. For specialized datasets—such as genomic data, RNA sequencing, electron microscopy, FACS data, and more—that require deposition in domain-specific repositories, we offer personalized support. Our team assists researchers in accurately describing their data, ensuring compliance with metadata standards, and guiding them through the deposition process. This ensures the data is stored correctly, easily discoverable, and impactful. Contact us for expert assistance with managing and uploading datasets to the most suitable repository.
Handling sensitive data, particularly in the biomedical field, requires careful attention to privacy and confidentiality. Open access to such data requires explicit consent and the protection of personal information through anonymization. Please note that our unit does not handle the anonymization process, and researchers should consult the relevant service, Data Science Center (BDSC) for assistance in this area.
To share sensitive data that cannot be anonymised use our HORUS CHUV dataset catalog, developed and managed by the CHUV IT Department (DSI-CHUV). This catalog highlights metadata describing sensitive clinical datasets generated at CHUV, which cannot be publicly shared due to legal restrictions. These sensitive datasets are secured through controlled access via the Datasets Catalog Horus. Furthermore, interoperability between the CHUV catalog and Zenodo ensures that FAIR metadata is automatically transmitted and made publicly accessible via the FBM-Zenodo community.
The DSBU provides comprehensive support throughout the data deposition process via the HORUS CHUV dataset catalog. We guide researchers from the initial dataset upload through the completion of the required metadata. A data steward (curator) from the DSBU reviews the metadata to ensure accuracy and proper deposition. Once verified, the curator approves the dataset for final submission, ensuring both compliance and maximum visibility.
In summary, the DSBU is dedicated to facilitating open access to research data and/or metada in alignment with FAIR sharing standards, while safeguarding data privacy and meeting legal obligations. For assistance with data deposition and sharing, please don’t hesitate to contact our team.