Frequently Asked Questions

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) helps researchers who have received funding from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program, Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence, the National Academies of Sciences Gulf Research Program, and others to manage their data, making the data accessible to other researchers and the public. For more information about our organization please visit About Us.

Grid-sea

Send an email to griidc@gomri.org or visit the Meet the Team page if you need to contact an individual directly.

Scientists have been funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program, Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence, the National Academies of Sciences Gulf Research Program, and others to complete research in a number of diverse fields. Ecological, biological, chemical, physical oceanography, engineering, socio-economic, and human health data can be shared and are available for download through the GRIIDC system.

At the top of the website, there are 'Report Issues' and 'Suggest Improvement' tabs. Simply click on the appropriate tab and submit your ideas or observations. Alternatively, email a note to griidc@gomri.org if the tabs to submit feedback are not available.

Please visit https://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org/pelagos-symfony/account to request an account. GRIIDC accounts are only available to researchers who have received funding from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program, Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence, and the National Academies of Sciences Gulf Research Program. Please provide the email address associated with your funding agreement when requesting an account. If your entered email address is not found in the GRIIDC system, please contact griidc@gomri.org.

To reset a forgotten password please visit https://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org/pelagos-symfony/change-password. Please provide the email address that is associated with your funding agreement when resetting your password.

No, you do not need an account to download data.

There are several reasons why you should submit your dataset to GRIIDC, however, the primary reason is related to requirements by funding agencies and journals. Of course, another reason to submit your dataset is that sharing your research will add to its value by making it available to others that may have similar interests or collaborative ideas. This also means that other researchers can cite your data and you will gain credit for it. And finally, sharing your data maximizes the impact of your research and serves as a foundation for others to build upon now and in the future.

The dataset submission process in GRIIDC is a 2 step process that begins with data management. The first step in submitting your dataset is the creation of a Dataset Information Form (DIF). Once the DIF has been approved by GRIIDC staff, you can submit your dataset to GRIIDC during Dataset Submission. Datasets can consist of a single or multiple files. The upload method is the simplest method for uploading files and can be used for most datasets.

Depending on your funding agreement, you may be required to notify GRIIDC that a dataset is publicly available at a national repository via Dataset Submission. If this is the case, you will use Dataset Submission to provide descriptive information about the data and provide a URL to it's location at the national data archive. If you have a question about what constitutes a national data archive, please email griidc@gomri.org.

The definition of what constitutes a dataset varies across disciplines and is determined by the community of interest. Usually a dataset is a meaningful group or collection of related data; data can be related because, for example, they were collected during a specified time period, at a specific location or because they measure a specific parameter. GRIIDC encourages scientists to share all the research data collected that another scientist would find useful.

A single dataset can contain multiple files which may include data, software and models. Generally these data do not include: laboratory notebooks, preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer review reports, communications with colleagues or physical objects. GRIIDC encourages researchers to provide their data in the ‘rawest’ form that will be useful to the general scientific community and permit the widest reuse. For some data types, it may be useful to provide data at different levels of processing; for example, within the proteomics community it is valuable to release ‘raw’ data as well as processed data, to facilitate different reuse cases.

Data shared through GRIIDC are not limited to published data; all data collected with funding from GoMRI should be shared through the GRIIDC system even if these data will not be included in a peer-reviewed publication.
Ultimately, it is up to the Data Provider to decide what collection of a data files will constitute a single dataset. GRIIDC staff and subject matter experts are available to provide recommendations and guidance on how to organize your dataset and about what data you should include in your dataset submission.

The GRIIDC submission interface has been updated on 05-04-2021 to allow for the upload of multiple files and folders. Files and folders can be uploaded from a local computer or by using the drag and drop option. Please consult the GRIIDC dataset submission guidance for more information.

Most file formats can be submitted to the GRIIDC data management system. However, GRIIDC encourages data providers to submit data in formats that promote re-use. Therefore, GRIIDC will generally not accept data submitted in PDF file format. GRIIDC promotes the submission of data in non-proprietary file formats whenever possible to facilitate long-term data storage and curation. For example, spreadsheets can be provided as csv or txt files. A dataset can include the same data in both proprietary and non-proprietary file formats.

Dataset Information Forms (DIFs) are required to supplement the Data Management Plan that defines the datasets expected to be collected and generated by a project. The information you provide via this form will assist GRIIDC in designing its infrastructure, identify areas which need special attention, and allocate resources accordingly. The DIF will also alert your colleagues to the datasets you are generating, thereby improving collaboration. Dataset Submission is used to submit a dataset file to GRIIDC or notify GRIIDC that the dataset has been submitted to a recognized national data center.

GRIIDC urges all researchers to submit their data as soon as they are QA/QC'd and finalized. The Research Board for the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative has provided guidance that data collected or generated by GoMRI researchers must be submitted to GRIIDC within 12 month of the date of collection. This deadline for data submission is based on the Master Research Agreement which states that all data shall be fully accessible and posted with minimum time delay. For other funding programs, please consult the timelines provided in your contract.

Yes, GRIIDC encourages packaging the programming source code and parameters that are not proprietary information within the dataset when submitting the dataset. GRIIDC staff can work with you to review proprietary information, on a case by case basis, to determine the best possible solution to share your information without compromising intellectual property rights.

Metadata is data about data. Metadata is information that describes the contents and context of dataset files. Its main purpose is to help people find the data they need and determine how best to use the data. Metadata is also used to support data management, archiving, and preservation.

ISO 19115-2 is a metadata standard developed and adopted by the International Standards Organization (ISO) that defines how to document and describe information. Generally, the standard defines what information is to be included in the metadata and how it should be structured or formatted. GRIIDC has chosen to adopt the ISO 19115-2 metadata standard because it has wide acceptance and is used by many data repositories, including national data centers.

The GRIIDC Metadata Editor is a web-based tool that creates ISO 19115-2 compliant metadata files in XML file format. This tool is presented as a series of seven interactive forms that the user fills out. Once a user has filled in all the required information, the metadata can be saved to an XML file on their computer. No knowledge of XML is needed to complete metadata using the interactive forms. It is important to note that the GRIIDC ISO 19115-2 Metadata editor does not store any information outside of the XML file saved on the user’s local computer, so please download the file to your computer to save your work. This tool can be used to create ISO 19115-2 compliant metadata files for any dataset or project.

A data management plan is a formal document that outlines how data will be organized during a project and after a project is completed. A DMP helps ensure that data are collected and generated in the proper format and are well organized at the beginning of a project, so that they can be archived and preserved in the future.

GRIIDC provides many tools and resources that will help you create a DMP. There are links to examples, a DMP template, as well as a link to the California Digital Library’s online DMPTool. Please visit data.gulfresearchinitiative.org/data-management-planning to access these resources.

Navigate to GRIIDC's Search page to find a dataset. If you click on the title of the dataset, a new window will open that presents information about the dataset and a button to download the dataset will be on the top right corner of the page.

Datasets should be cited in the references section of the publication. To cite a dataset from the GRIIDC data repository that has been issued a DOI, please use the following format:

[data author last name], [data author first name], [co-data authors]. [year dataset published by GRIIDC]. [title of the dataset]. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. doi:

Example:
Özgökmen, Tamay. 2013. CARTHE GLAD experiment CODE-style drifter trajectories (low-pass filtered, 15 minute interval records), northern Gulf of Mexico near DeSoto Canyon, July – October 2012. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7VD6WC8

To cite a dataset from the GRIIDC data repository that has not been issued a DOI, please use the following format:
[data author last name], [data author first name], [co-data authors]. [year dataset published by GRIIDC]. [title of the dataset]. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. Available from: .

Example:
Ajemian, Matthew and Sean Powers. 2014. Satellite telemetry and aerial survey data for the assessment of distribution, abundance and file-scale habitat use of rays in the Gulf of Mexico data from 2008 to 2012. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. Available from: https://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org/data/Y1.x068.000:0001/.

Researchers, program and policy analysts and administrators, and educators may use datasets found in the GRIIDC system to produce manuscripts, articles, reports, or educational materials. Additionally, students may use the dataset from GRIIDC to produce essays and reports. Whenever a dataset is used in analysis, or to produce a manuscript, article, report, or other document the dataset should be cited.

DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier. Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) are unique and persistent identifiers used to reference a document or dataset. DOIs link to information on the location of data. They allow dataset users to cite the dataset they are using.

Yes, all GRIIDC-developed software source code is available available via the GRIIDC Github Code Repository. GRIIDC releases this source code under the BSD 2-clause license, as follows:

Copyright © 2021, Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative. All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

In general, a GRIIDC approved national data repository should have the following:
1. Data should have a home page
2. Data should not need a query or search to be found
3. Center should receive funding from a federal source
4. Center should have a long-term commitment to data sharing and storage

GRIIDC has determined that the following repositories are considered approved national data repositories:

1. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)
2. HYCOM Consortium for Data Assimilative Modeling
3. MG-RAST
4. NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI)
5. ICPSR
6. US EPA Storet
7. DOE Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG)
8. NASA's SeaBASS
9. European Nucleotide Archive Sequence Read Archive
10. NOAA's National Data Buoy Center
11. MassIVE
12. USGS Science Base
13. Zenodo
14. Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity
15. National Institutes of Health

If your data are located at a repository that is not on this list, please contact griidc@gomri.org to determine if it is considered a national data repository.

To retrieve a username please visit https://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org/pelagos-symfony/account/forgot-u.... Please provide the email associated with your funding agreement to retrieve your username.

A dataset is automatically issued a DOI when it is submitted to GRIIDC. The DOI will be displayed on the dataset submission confirmation screen and emailed to the dataset submitter and data manager. The DOI will be displayed on the dataset landing page and the Search page.

No, each individual using the GRIIDC system should request their own account. Please do not share account information. To request an account please visit: https://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org/pelagos-symfony/account.

Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) funded researchers are required to provide an attribution statement in the acknowledgements section of their publication that includes the DOI(s) of related datasets.

To reference GRIIDC in your publication acknowledgements, please use one of the following formats depending on each case:

“This research was made possible by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. Data are publicly available through the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information & Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) at https://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org (doi: [, , , …].” or

“This research was made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and in part by [list other sources]. Data are publicly available through the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information & Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) at https://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org (doi: [, , , …].”

Please note: In cases where data are stored on servers other than GRIIDC, append the appropriate depository name(s), URL(s) and DOI(s).

GRIIDC is unable to accept copies of journal articles, tables and figures from journal articles, or supplementary/supporting information that is published with a journal article in a dataset. Most journal articles and associated materials are subject to copyright held by the publisher. In order to avoid legal consequences that may result from distributing these materials GRIIDC will not accept published materials as part of a dataset.

To update your contact information please email griidc@gomri.org. Please provide your full name and contact information in the body of the email.