Using Data
View Dataverse Collections + Datasets
After performing a search and finding the dataverse collection or dataset you are looking for, click on the name of the dataverse collection or dataset or on the thumbnail image to be taken to the page for that dataverse collection or dataset. Once on a dataverse collection page, you can view the dataverses, datasets, and files within that dataverse.
Once on a dataset page, you will see the title, citation, description, and several other fields, as well as a button to email the dataset contact and a button to share the dataset on social media. Below that information, the files, metadata, terms of use, and version information for the dataset are available.
View Files
Files in Dataverse installation each have their own landing page that can be reached through the search results or through the Files table on their parent dataset’s page. The dataset page and file page offer much the same functionality in terms of viewing and editing files, with a few small exceptions.
- UVa’s Dataverse installation has installed Previewers for several common file types: ASCII Text (txt, html), audio (mp3, mpeg, wav, ogg, X-m4a), image (gif, jpeg, png), pdf, video (mp4, ogg, quicktime), csv, tsv, tab, stata syntax, R-syntax, Hypothesis, and geo+json.
- The file page’s Versions tab gives you a version history that is more focused on the individual file rather than the dataset as a whole.
File Search within Datasets
Datasets containing multiple files offer a file search function. On the Dataset page, under the Files tab, you’ll see a search bar you can use to locate an individual file. It searches within the filename and file description. Performing a search will filter the file table to list only files matching your search. After you perform a search, if you’d like to return to the full list of files, just perform an empty search.
Under the search bar, you’ll see file search facets you can use to filter the dataset’s files by file type, access level, and file tags (see the example below).
Tree View
Files can be organized in one or more folders (directories) within a dataset. If the folder structure is defined, the Dataset Page will present an option for switching between the traditional table view, and the tree-like view showing folder and file hierarchy, as in the example below:
Cite Data
You can find the citation for the dataset at the top of the dataset page in a blue box. Additionally, there is a “Cite Data” button that offers the option to download the citation as EndNote XML, RIS Format, or BibTeX Format.
Download Files
If you want to download all files in a dataset, you can click the Access Dataset dropdown on the dataset page and select one of the download options. The dataset’s files will download in .zip format and will preserve any folder structure that the dataset owner had set up.
If you’d like to download a single file or some subset of the dataset’s files, you can use the Files tab. To download more than one file at a time, select the files you would like to download and then click the Download button above the files. The dataset’s files will download in .zip format and will preserve any folder structure that the dataset owner had set up.
You may also download a file from the Access File button on its file page or by Downloading via URL (see below) under the Metadata tab.
Tabular data files offer additional options: You can explore using any data exploration or visualization (if they have been enabled), or choose from a number of tabular-data-specific download options available.
Tabular Data
Ingested files can be downloaded in several different ways.
- The default option is to download a tab-separated-value file which is an easy and free standard to use.
- The original file, which may be in a proprietary format which requires special software
- Rdata format if the installation has configured this
- The variable metadata for the file in DDI format
Downloading via URL
The Dataverse installation displays a plaintext URL for the location of the file under the Metadata tab on the file page. This Download URL can be used to directly access the file via API (or in a web browser, if needed). When downloading larger files, in order to ensure a reliable, resumable download, we recommend using GNU Wget in a command line terminal or using a download manager software of your choice.
Certain files do not provide Download URLs for technical reasons: those that are restricted, or have terms of use other than CC-0 associated with them.