Metadata and Documenting Data in Yoda¶

Overview

This is the Metadata and Documenting Data in Yoda page, part of VU Tools → Yoda in the A-LIFE RDM collection.

In Yoda, before you can archive a data package, you need to complete two documentation steps. This page covers both:

Metadata Form and README — what each element is and when it's needed
Accessing the Yoda Metadata Form — mandatory; you cannot archive or publish without it
Completing the Metadata Form — field-by-field best practices
Documenting your Data — highly recommended; include a README in your data package folder

Supporting materials: Essentials- README
Authors: Irene Martorelli, Brett Olivier — Last modification: 2026-08-02 — Version: 0.3.0

Metadata Form and README¶

In Yoda, documentation before archiving consists of two elements:

The Metadata Form — mandatory. Yoda will not let you submit a data package to the Vault without a completed metadata form. It is a structured set of fields (title, creators, licence, description, etc.) attached to each folder in your Research Space. The metadata is also used when publishing — it appears in data catalogues such as DataCite. Yoda uses the DataCite metadata standard, which ensures interoperability with international research data registries.
A README file — highly recommended. A plain text file that lives inside your data package folder, describing the content of the files for anyone who downloads or accesses the data. It is not enforced by Yoda, but is required by the A-LIFE checklist before submitting.

1. Accessing the Yoda Metadata Form¶

Warning

You can only access your project space in Yoda if you have first requested storage space and been granted access. Follow the instructions in Getting Started with Yoda.

Login to the VU Yoda Portal — https://portal.yoda.vu.nl
For login instructions see Getting Started with Yoda.
Go to your Research Space
Once logged in, select Research to access your active project space in Yoda.
Access the Metadata form
In the Research portal you will see your project folders. Click the Metadata box on the folder you want to archive. The Metadata form is found in the top left corner of the interface of your Research Space.
Each project folder has its own metadata form. If a subfolder's form is not filled in, it inherits the metadata of the parent folder.
Complete the Metadata form
You are now able to fill in the metadata fields for your project folder.

Warning

Please be aware that some of the field names have been recently renamed. If you have already metadata forms filled in for projects in Yoda that you have not recently accessed, you will have the following message (Last updated: 2025-07-02): dir-structure

2. Completing the Metadata Form¶

The Yoda Metadata Form contains a number of required and recommended fields. Completing them carefully ensures a smoother review and better discoverability when your dataset is published.

For detailed guidance on each metadata field, follow our guide:

Best Practices — Completing the Yoda Metadata Form

3. Documenting your Data¶

We explicitly recommend including a README file in your Yoda data package folder before archiving. A README is a plain text file (.md or .txt) that describes the content of your files for anyone who downloads or accesses the dataset — now or in the future.

What to include in your README¶

At a minimum, your README should include information about the dataset and its creators:

Dataset title and description — what the dataset contains and what research question or publication it supports
Authors and affiliations — names, institutions, and ORCID identifiers where available
Licence — the licence that applies to the data (especially important for Restricted or Closed packages)
Contact — name and email address for questions about the dataset

And recommended information about the content of the data package:

File list — a list of all files and folders in the data package with a short description of each
File and column descriptions — for tabular data, describe the column headers, units, and any coded values or abbreviations used
Data collection and processing methods — how the data was generated, collected, or processed, including instruments, software, or experimental conditions

Unlike the metadata form, which feeds the Yoda system and data catalogues, the README is human-readable documentation that lives inside your data package folder alongside your files. Most of the information you include in a README maps directly to fields in the Yoda Metadata Form — writing both together is a natural process.

A README is recommended in all folders independently of which tool is used for storage. For example, a README can be initially created in Research Drive to describe a folder during the active phase of your project — the same file can then be transferred without modification into Yoda when you archive your data package.

It is highly recommended to place the README file in the root folder of the data package you want to archive, so that it is directly visible and findable to anyone accessing the dataset.

README templates and further guidance

See the README section in our GEMs for a copy-paste template and practical tips.

Get inspired by your A-LIFE colleagues!

Not sure where to start? A great way to get inspired is to look at what your A-LIFE colleagues have done! The datasets below are published by A-LIFE researchers and archived in Yoda — each includes a README you can browse directly in the Vault. Take a look at how they described their files and structured their documentation. Every research domain is different, so feel free to adapt what you see to your own workflow.

Feral Swine Selective Sweep — Barmentlo, Niek (2024) · DOI · View README in Vault

Data from: "Distinct modulatory effects of high-fiber and fermented-food diets on gut microbiota, immune function, transit time, and sleep quality in a citizen science randomized controlled trial" — van den Belt, Maartje; van de Put, Marieke et al. (2025) · DOI · View README in Vault

Nocturnal and grounded carabid beetle traits tell tales of urban adaptation — van der Vegt, Wouter B. (2026) · DOI · View README in Vault

What next?

Metadata form complete and README added to your folder? Continue to Archiving in Yoda to submit your data package to the Vault.

Further reading — Understanding the Yoda Metadata Schema

VU Research Support Handbook - Adding and Reusing Metadata in Yoda — learn how metadata fields are structured, how they map to the DataCite standard, and how metadata can be reused across folders.