Requesting data and meta-data

Before you request data

Each year, BOSCORF generates and stores a wealth of data. Before you request any data, please search one of the following online databases.

Meta-data of our core sample collections:

Datasets based on BOSCORF cores:

How to request data or meta-data?

We can assist you with providing further data if you’re unable to locate the data you want, or need more information to design your research project, sampling strategy, or analysis request. We advise you to request data about the quality of stored materials before asking for samples or instrument time, especially when designing a research project based on legacy cores.

If you would like to request data that isn’t already available online in one of the databases, then please fill in the Data Request Form. This form must be completed electronically and emailed to the Curator (Dr Suzanne Maclachlan, s.maclachlan@noc.ac.uk).

When requesting data from BOSCORF, you must provide details (one paragraph) describing the purpose of the proposed research, which will be compared to NERC’s objectives. If there is any doubt about the purpose of the research, the BOSCORF Advisory Group will be consulted to rule on the request. All information regarding research purposes will be dealt with confidentially.

Using data from BOSCORF

Data users are asked to acknowledge BOSCORF in any publications produced, in whole or in part, by their use of the facility. We produce an Annual Report that highlights the varied work made possible through BOSCORF and it is important that we are notified of any research outcome (paper, book, conference abstract or presentation) from work undertaken at the facility. This includes studies based on data already available online, or based on legacy material.

Research collaboration with facility staff

Users are strongly encouraged to engage with facility staff as part of our active research collaboration culture at BOSCORF. We have a range of in-house expertise to support you from the logistical, analytical, data quality assurance, and interpretation stages of your research - in return, we are pleased to engage with you through to the final stages of research output and publication.

Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRediT)

We encourage users to recognise the input of BOSCORF staff to the research process by including them as contributors in research outputs using the CRediT contributor roles. Find out more about CRediT here