Ahead of the launch of the new Equipment Data platform, the team shares updates to the service, what you need to do to prepare and how we will support you.
Equipment data collects and publishes data from UK universities and research facility equipment catalogues. It supports compliance with UKRI policy to support transparency and encourage sharing of these resources. This platform allows users to manage records, including assigning DOIs and publishing the data.
What’s new?
The service is being upgraded to meet new challenges and to maximise the value of the data. This upgrade aims to improve the discovery and visibility of research assets, introduces the ability to cite and track the assets, and to create a market intelligence data resource.
The upgrade will include a data management platform to allow users to manage their records, add DOIs and publish their equipment data.
Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for Equipment:
The service will now provide the capability to mint DataCite Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for research equipment. This functionality enables institutions to create persistent links between equipment investments and their resulting research outputs and publications.
Key benefits include:
- Ability to identify individual pieces of equipment enabling improved research reproducibility.
- Enhanced ability to evaluate the impact of equipment investments.
- Better tracking of research infrastructure utilisation through citations and online references.
- Increased discovery of research equipment through international registries and citations.
The service will create DOIs for any equipment record that the institution requests, with 2 exceptions:
- Facilities (as opposed to specific equipment), which can be identified using a ROR.
- Equipment that already has an existing DOI (to avoid duplication).
New service data model:
See here for updated service data model guidance and a spreadsheet template for adding records in the new structure.
Mandatory fields for DOIs
In order for the service to assign a DOI for an equipment record you need to provide the following mandatory fields.
- Internal record identifier.
- Name of equipment.
- Description of equipment.
- Manufacturer.
More information can be found in the service data model guidance. The work on our data model and identifiers has been informed by working with international partners in adopting a new standard for persistent identifiers for instruments (PIDinst)
Accessing the platform
- You will need to nominate an institutional lead.
- The lead needs to fill in the new Equipment Data Submission Form. You will need accept updated Jisc T&Cs.
- Jisc will add your details to the Data Management Platform.
- Lead will be sent a link to one-time password and URL to the home page of the data management platform (with a link to the data management platform).
Providing Data
You will be able to upload records to the data management platform through:
- Populating and uploading the spreadsheet template that already matches the equipment data service data model.
- Populating and uploading any other file and mapping it to the equipment data service data model on the platform.
We are developing API integration for PURE equipment module and Kit-Catalogue users. We will let you know once development is complete. (See “data migration and options after log-in” section below for instructions for PURE users).
Key dates
- Data migration: We will be migrating the exiting data to the new platform by the 2nd July. After this date the current service will not harvest new data and update records.
- Fill in the institutions submission form by 7th July (if you want to be included in the initial roll out of the data management platform). Note, you can still fill in this form at any time before or after this date.
- Webinar to demo of the new platform 10th July. See webinar registration details below.
- Those that have completed the submission form will be added to the platform and you will receive log-in instructions via email with on-time password and link to the platform.
Transition plan/initial roll out
We are doing an initial roll out for the data management platform.
- This will be for organisations who are currently using spreadsheets to manage their data. If you want to be included in the initial roll-out, please fill the institutions submission form by 7th July.
- If you are currently providing data to the platform and are not part of the initial launch, we still need to hear from you as you’ll need to accept Jisc T&Cs for the new platform. Please complete the institutions submission form by the 18th July.
Future roll-outs
- PURE and Kit-Catalogue integration with the data management platform: August 2025.
- Website upgrade: August 2025.
- Analytics: August/September 2025.
Data migration and options after log-in
If you are already providing existing data to the current service, we will be migrating the existing data by the 2nd July to the new platform as part of the initial roll out.
You will have various options after log-in.
If you are currently providing data via a spreadsheet you have 2 options:
- Delete and upload (recommended): To help you get started with the latest data model, you can choose to delete all your harvested records from the previous version. This gives you a clean slate and makes it easier to follow the updated data model.
- You can keep your current records and update them manually. It’s likely that many fields will be missing, so you’ll need to manually update them. This option works best if you’ve only got a small number of records to update.
You will also be able to download your migrated data in the updated spreadsheet.
PURE equipment module and Kit-Cat integration (TBD)
We are developing workflows for PURE equipment module and Kit-Catalogue platform users. If you are currently supplying data to the service via a spreadsheet or Kit-Catalogue and would like to connect your PURE or Kit-Catalogue API instead, then it will be better to wait for the release of this functionality. Your current data will automatically be migrated to the platform and when the PURE and Kit-Catalogue workflow is completed you will be able to delete this data (to avoid duplication) and then connect to your API.
Support and resources
To assist you with using the system initially we have provided quick start guides for spreadsheet users). Further guides will be available as the roll out continues.
Webinar: demo of the new data management platform
We are holding a webinar to demo the new data management platform and to outline how you can supply data.
Date: 10th July @ 14.00
Register: Jisc equipment data service upgrade: demo of the new data management platform – Jisc
Contact
If you need to contact us, email us at help@jisc.ac.uk using Equipment Data in the subject line.