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Dataset Linking

Dataset linking allows a Dataverse collection owner to “link” their Dataverse collection to a dataset that exists outside of that Dataverse collection, so it also appears in the Dataverse collection’s list of contents without actually being in that Dataverse collection. You can link other users’ datasets to your Department’s collection (or sub-collections), but that does not transfer editing or other special permissions to you. The linked dataset will still be under the original user’s control.

For example, researchers working on a collaborative study across departments, the Stewards can each link the collaborative dataset to their own individual department Dataverse collections, making it easier for interested parties from each department to find the dataset. Another reason to link a dataset would be as a form of contribution from a collaborative work.

Only the Dataverse Steward or BSC Data Management can.

Only users with the Publish Dataset” permission, which you do as the Admin of the Department’s collection, can link a dataset.

For this reason, regular BSC Dataverse users cannot link datasets, because the BSC submitter role, on purpose, does not have the “Publish Dataset” permission.

To link a dataset to your Dataverse collection, you must:

Figure 1: Link Dataset button

1) Log in to the BSC Dataverse and navigate to the collaborative dataset.

2) Click the white “Link” button in the upper-right corner of the dataset page (Figure 1).

3) This will open up a window where you can type in the name of the Dataverse collection that you would like to link the dataset to.

Figure 2: Drop-down menu to select the Dataverse collection you would like yo link the dataset to.

4) Select your Dataverse collection and click the Save Linked Dataset button. This will establish the link, and the dataset will now appear under your Dataverse collection.

💡 This linkage does not transfer editing or other special permissions to you. The linked dataset will still be under the original user’s control.

The original user must add any Dataverse user with the “BSC submitter” role in order to allow them to contribute to the dataset. With this role, the user will be able to edit the dataset metadata, as well as the terms and permissions.

The user can check this documentation to learn how to add users to their dataset.

Once this is done, you -as the Department Steward- can link the collaborative dataset to the relevant collection following the steps mentioned in the section above.

There is currently no way to remove established links in the UI. If you need to remove a link between a Dataverse collection and a dataset, please contact the BSC Data Management team.