By default, EPrints is set up for archiving research output - articles, conference papers, technical reports, theses etc. However, it's straightforward to configure EPrints for different kinds of deposits, such as data or multimedia. The examples page lists existing data repositories based on EPrints.
Follow these steps to create a data repository:
1. Configure Deposit and Document Types
Decide on the 'types' of deposit and document you want to support and add these to your archive's metadata types list.
For example, the EBank crystal structure repository defines a single deposit type, Analysis, and a single document type: Data.
2. Configure Deposit Metadata
Decide what metadata you want to capture for each type of deposit. After adding the fields to your archive's metadata fields list, specify which fields apply to which types.
For example, the EBank crystal structure repository captures, amongst others:
- Name of the crystal structure
- Date analysis took place
- Names of Chemists who performed analysis
- Institution where analysis was performed
- Compound class of crystal structure
- Empirical formula of crystal structure
- International Chemical Identifier (InChI)
3. Configure Phrases for New Types and Metadata
EPrints needs to know how to display the names of the newly defined types and metadata fields in each language supported by the archive. Specify appropriate translations in the language specific configuration files. Also add a description and examples for each metadata field to assist your users when they deposit their data - EPrints will display these alongside each input box on the metadata entry pages.
4. Configure Citations for New Types
EPrints also needs to know how to display 'citations' of each newly defined type - that is, a short summary of the record displayed for example on the search results page - in each language supported by the archive. Specify appropriate translations in the citation configuration files.
5. Configure OAI
Define how EPrints should convert your new type(s) and metadata to the OAI Dublin Core format in the OAI configuration file.
6. Displaying Extracted Data Files (Optional)
Your users may want to upload several data files per deposit. EPrints supports the uploading and extraction of archives of files (.zip and .tar.gz). However, the default setting is for EPrints to display only the 'primary' file (as specified by the user). To display links to all uploaded files, change the render configuration.
7. Visualise Data (Optional)
Enhance your users' experience by using applets and plugins to visualise data. Add the appropriate applet/plugin code to the render configuration.
For example, the EBank crystal structure repository uses an interactive applet to allow users to explore 3D visualisations of molecular structures.