CEDA Services Portal – Guide for Dataset Managers
Feature coming January 2025
The CEDA Services Portal is the new way for CEDA users to apply for and manage their access to datasets on the Archive, along with other Archive services. As this is a complete overhaul of our dataset access infrastructure, we’re created this guide to help managers of datasets to understand how things are changing and what new processes they’ll need to follow in order to approve access requests.
The New Dataset Registration Procedure
Typically, CEDA users will apply for access to datasets by following a link on an associated catalogue record. This part of the process is mostly unchanged, but we’ve made some improvements to make understanding the dataset licences easier. For instance, it is now clear whether a dataset can be used for commercial purposes or not, and which license the user would need to apply for depending on their particular use case.
Along with this, we’ve also improved the appearance of the registration website, where the user provides their information and a justification for their application.
This is also where they will be shown the dataset’s licence agreements, and be prompted to agree to the terms and conditions.
An alternative way to apply for access to a dataset is directly through the new CEDA services portal. Information about a dataset, including the licence it is associated with and any access you’ve already been granted to it, can be found on a page dedicated to each dataset. There is also a button which can be used to bring up the same application form that you would see if you applied through the catalogue.
You can find links to the pages for any dataset you already have access to from the My Archive Access tab of the new portal. Though, any CEDA user can view a dataset’s page if they have a direct link to it.
Approving Dataset Requests
Managers of datasets will be notified by email when a user signs up. Following the link in the email will take you to the approval page for the request inside the new portal. This page will display information about the user, such as their email address and home institution, as well as the justification that they provided in the application form.
A drop-down box at the bottom of the page will allow you to approve the request by selecting “APPROVED” and pressing “Make Decision”. This will automatically grant the user access to the dataset and send them an email confirming that their application has been processed.
After selecting "APPROVED", you can then adjust the duration of the access grant by selecting a time range from the "Expiry date" dropdown. User's will be automatically sent an email before their access expires, warning them to submit a new application or risk losing access once the duration you selected is up.
The two other decisions you can make are: “REJECTED”, which will cancel the application, or “INCOMPLETE”, which keeps the application active in the case that additional information is required from the user. Both of these decisions allow you to write a message to be sent to the user. You can use this message to either explain why their application was rejected, or ask them to provide more information to support their application. You can also add an “internal” message, that will not be sent to the user, but will be visible to any managers of the dataset so that information can be saved for future reference.
All pending and incomplete applications can also be accessed directly from the dataset’s home page on the services portal, under the “Pending Requests” tab. This tab is only visible to managers of the dataset, and only managers will be able to view the approval forms associated with each request.
