Skip to end of metadata
Go to start of metadata

What Is The Batch Upload Tool?

The Batch Upload Tool is a resource creation feature that allows you to ingest batches of related documents or images. In other words, it is a bulk upload tool to create resource records within tDAR for many related documents or images. 

The Batch Upload Tool is similar to other data entry and file ingestion tools in tDAR. The Batch Upload screen looks very similar to the Create a Document, Create a Dataset, or Create an Image data entry screen. The data entry screen asks you to enter the same types of metadata that you would record for a new single document, dataset, or image. 

However, this tool allows you to create metadata records for many documents or images in a single data entry screen. The tool prompts you to create individual file names and individual bibliographic information for each of the files (documents or images) that you wish to upload. It then permits you to create a single metadata record (i.e., investigation type, site names and types, cultural keywords, geographic keywords, etc). that applies to all of these files. Note that the batch tool will apply this metadata record to all of the files that you ingest in this bulk upload process. Thus, it is important that all of the files you choose for a batch upload are closely related. 

The end result of a batch upload is the creation of many individual resource records and the ingestion of each associated file. Thus, at the end of the batch upload, you will have created a single record for each of the digital documents, data sets, and/or images you intended to ingest into tDAR. 

Navigating to the Batch Upload Tool

You must first create a new information resource to perform a bulk ingest of document, dataset, or image files in tDAR.

To create a new information resource for a batch upload of files, you can use the "New" button on the tDAR toolbar (You are able to access this toolbar and button on any page within tDAR). Hold your cursor over the "New" button and select "Batch Upload Tool" from the drop-down menu. 


You can also navigate to the Batch Upload Tool through a project display page (from your Information Resources page). The project display page contains a toolbar that allows you to add resources associated with the selected project. Click the "add information resource" button on the project toolbar.

You will then be presented with a screen that asks you to select the resource type you wish to add. Choose "Batch Upload Tool" from the drop-down menu.

If you choose to use the "New" button to navigate to the Batch Upload Tool, you must first select the project with which these ingested files are associated. Select the appropriate project from the drop-down menu in the "Basic Information" section on the Batch Upload metadata entry screen (see below). If your batch upload of files is not associated with a project, select "No Associated Project" from the drop-down menu. tDAR will associate the ingested files with your personal information resources. 

If you choose to use the project toolbar to navigate to the "Batch Upload Tool," tDAR will automatically select the associated project (see below). 

A Brief Overview of the Batch Upload Tool

Briefly examine the Batch Upload Tool data entry screen to understand the Batch Upload process.

The Batch Upload data entry screen and the data entry process are slightly different than the other resource creation processes in tDAR. There are two important differences: 

1. the creation of record specific metadata.

       a. Notice the "Upload record specific metadata" section.

       b. The "Upload record specific metadata" section will help you to create individual file names and unique bibliographic metadata for each of the digital files you wish to ingest

       

2. the creation of batch metadata that applies to all of the records

       a. Notice that the remainder of the Batch Upload Tool data entry screen looks very similar to other data entry screens in tDAR. It asks you for the same types of metadata. 

       b. The metadata you enter in these sections (e.g., Investigation Types, About Your Site(s), etc.) will apply to ALL of the digital files that you wish to ingest in the batch upload process

Entering Metadata About the Batch Upload Process

The Batch Upload tool prompts you to complete the "Basic Information" section to provide metadata about this batch upload. Basic information includes the name of an associated project, the status of the upload, the primary language of the metadata and attached files, the resource collection name, and a URL with which it is associated.   

The Basic Information metadata applies to ALL of the digital files that you wish to ingest in this batch upload. 

Selecting an Associated Project

In the "Project" field, use the drop-down box to select the project with which these digital files are associated. If you used the project toolbar "add information resource" button to navigate to the Batch Upload Tool, the project is already selected for you (see description of creating an image above).

If your digital files are not associated with a project, select "No Associated Project" from the drop-down menu. tDAR will associate the batch-uploaded files with your personal information resources.

When you associate batch-uploaded digital files with a project, you are accomplishing two things in tDAR:

  1. displaying the resources on the project page
  2. enabling "inheritance" of metadata values from the project down to the batch metadata on the batch upload data entry screen.  
    1. you will see checkboxes throughout the batch upload data entry page that enable you to inherit values from the project level

For more information on inheritance, please see the section "Inheriting Project Metadata" on the "Creating or Editing a Project" page. 

Choosing an Upload Status

In the "Status" field, select the status (either "active" or "draft") that describes the state of this batch upload. Select "active" to indicate that metadata entry is complete and that all  of the resources are ready to be published once it is submittted. The status "active" means that the metadata associated with each of the resources are visible to all users through searching and browsing.

Select "draft" to indicate that metadata are NOT complete and that the resources are NOT ready to be published. Use the "draft" status to save your work (remember to click the submit button at the bottom of the Batch Upload Tool data entry page, though, to save your metadata in tDAR).  

Note: Status does not inherit from a project to resources inside that project. Thus, a project may be marked as a "draft" or even "deleted" without effecting any of the resources within it.

Selecting the Primary Language

The "Language" field records the primary language of the metadata and any text in the attached digital files. Select the language from the drop-down list. 

Resource Collection Name


Resource collections enable you to share and organize resources within tDAR.  Here you are able to specify the names of the collections that tDAR should add this resource to. Alternately you can start a new, public collection by typing the desired name and selecting the last option in the list of pop-up results. The newly-created collection will contain only this resource, but can be modified at any time. Click on the link below for more information on creating or editing collections:

Creating or Editing Collections

URL

If applicable, you may enter a URL (universal resource locator) for the resources you are uploading. 

Performing a Batch Upload of Multiple Digital Files

To perform a batch upload of multiple, related digital files, you will complete two steps:

  1. Upload record specific metadata
    1. the filename
    2.  the bibliographic information associated with each file
  2. Upload the physical files

      Note: The filename you provide in the metadata should match exactly the name of the physical file.

Uploading Record Specific Metadata

The first step is to upload record specific metadata that pertains to each of the digital files you wish to ingest in this batch upload. Record specific metadata includes the name of each digital file and the unique bibliographic information associated with each file.

Use the “Upload record specific metadata” section to upload this information into tDAR.

To complete the "Upload record specific metadata" entry, you should use the Excel spreadsheet template that tDAR provides for you, accessed by clicking on either "Download" or "link" in Step 1.


The tDAR Excel Spreadsheet Template

Complete the following steps to use tDAR’s Excel template spreadsheet for a successful bulk upload of file names and bibliographic metadata.    

First, download the excel spreadsheet from the “Download” link. 

  1. Right click on the link.
  2. Choose “Save link as….”
  3. Your browser will present you with a prompt to save the Excel template to your local drive. Choose the location where you would like to save the template. You may also choose to change the name of the template file.

After the Excel template has been downloaded and saved to a local drive, open the Excel template.  You are presented with an Excel spreadsheet in “Protected View”. Click on the “Enable Editing” button in the upper right portion of the spreadsheet to enable editing of the sheet. You can now enter file names and file metadata for the digital resources that you wish to upload to tDAR.

    

Second, briefly examine the excel template spreadsheet.

     1. Notice that the first three columns ("filename," "title," and "description") each contain an asterick. These three fields are required. You MUST provide information in these fields fora successful bulk upload. 

     2.  Notice that the first column in the spreadsheet asks for individual file names. Thus, in each row, you will provide the name of a file you wish to upload to tDAR, and you will provide the metadata associated with that file. Note that the file name you provide in this column must match exactly the name of the file that you upload to tDAR.

     3. Notice that the next column asks for a title. This column asks you to provide the name of a title for each of your digital resources. Note that the title is the name that will appear in tDAR's  records as users search and retrieve metadata and digital files; it is different from the file name. 

     4. The next two columns ask for a description and for the date that the digital resource was created. The "description" column prompts you to provide a text description/abstract about each of your resources. The "dateCreated" column asks you to record the date when each of the digital files was created and/or finalized for publication.

     5. Notice that the remaining columns ask for bibliographic metadata that correspond to metadata values on other tDAR ingest pages. Thus, for each file, you will be entering bibliographic metadata just as you would enter metadata into one of tDAR’s web pages.

     6.  Notice that the current structure of the spreadsheet allows you to enter bibliographic information about ONE RESOURCE CREATOR AND ONLY ONE RESOURCE CREATOR for a digital file. In many cases, you will want to enter information ABOUT SEVERAL RESOURCE CREATORS. 

               a.  You may copy the columns that record information about resource creators

                         i.  ResourceCreator.Person.lastName

                        ii.  ResourceCreator.Person.firstName

                       iii. ResourceCreator.Person.email

                       iv.   ResourceCreator.Person.Institution.name

                        v. ResourceCreator.role (applies to persons)

                       vi. ResourceCreator.Institution.name

                      vii.  ResourceCreator.role (applies to institutions)

               b.  SELECT AND COPY ENTIRE COLUMN SET. Paste the columns to the right of the original columns to add additional resource creators for a digital file. 

     7. Several bibliographic metadata fields require the use of pre-defined acceptable values. These metadata fields that require pre-defined values are "metadataLanguage," "resourceLanguage," "documentType," and "ResourceCreator.role". 

               a. The columns for these fields contain look-up lists to help you select among the accepted values. 

               b. Place your cursor in an empty cell in the "metadataLanguage" column. Notice that you receive a look-up list. Select the value that best describes your file. 

   

     8.  Notice that there is a second worksheet named “REFERENCE”. Open the worksheet.

               a.  The “REFERENCE” worksheet can also help you to complete the bibliographic metadata columns that require pre-defined values (as discussed above).

 

     9.  The "REFERENCE" worksheet contains the metadata column names “Document Type”,”Resource Creator Roles”,”and “Language”. After each of these column names, it contains the relevant values(or states) that you may use to complete that column.

               a.  For example, if the file you wish to ingest was created for Enligsh language users, place the value “English” in the “metadataLanguage” column in the “template” sheet.

               b.  For example, if the file you wish to upload is a document, then you should place the either the value “author” or “editor” in the “ResourceCreator.role” column in the “template” sheet.  

Third, complete the spreadsheet by listing each file (by the desired file name) and its associated bibliographic metadata.

               For each file, provide the following bibliographic metadata:

     1. filename: The name of the digital file you wish to ingest into tDAR.

               Note: BE SURE THAT YOU PROVIDE FILE NAMES THAT MATCH EXACTLY THE NAMES OF THE PHYSICAL FILES THAT YOU WILL UPLOAD TO TDAR.   Additionally, file names are NOT case sensitive, so Test_File_1.png and test_file_1.png would record in tDAR as the same file.  

     2. title: The title of your document, dataset, or image. This title is the name that will appear in tDAR's records. Note that the record title is different than the file name. 

     3. description: A brief description of the digital file that you wish to upload to tDAR.

     4. dateCreated: The date when the digital documents, data sets, or images were created and/or finalized for publication.  

     5. metadataLanguage: The primary language in which the metadata are written.

               a. Use the look-up list to select the most appropriate value. You may also see the “REFERENCE” sheet for acceptable metadata values

               b. Acceptable values can be found in the following list: 

                ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, DUTCH, MULTIPLE, CHINESE, CHEROKEE, TURKISH

     6.  resourceLanguage: The primary language of any text that appear in your documents, data sets, or images. 

               a. Use the look-up list to select the most appropriate value. You may also see the “REFERENCE” sheet for acceptable metadata values

               b. Acceptable values can be found in the following list: 

     7.  copyLocation: The name of a place or a repository where a physical copy (preferable) or a digital copy of these digital resources is stored. 

**Many of your digital files will likely have more than one “Resource Creator”. In addition, a person may have more than “Resource Creator Role”. You should copy the following fields (ResourceCreator.Person.lastName – ResourceCreator.role) and create as many repeated sets of these columns as are necessary to list all the creators who deserve credit for the creation of a digital file. YOU MUST COPY THE ENTIRE SET OF COLUMNS AND PASTE THAT SET TO THE RIGHT OF THE FIRST SET (see image above).***

      8.  ResourceCreator.Person.lastName: The last name of a person who played a role in creating each of the digital files you are ingesting into tDAR. 

      9.  ResourceCreator.Person.firstName: The first name of a person who played a role in creating each of the digital files you are ingesting into tDAR.

     10.  ResourceCreator.Person.email: The most current email address of a person who played a role in creating each of the digital files.

     11.  ResourceCreator.Person.Institution.name: The name of an institution or an organization with which a resource creator is affiliated. 

     12. ResourceCreator.role: The role that a person played in the creation of the digital documents, data sets, or images that you are uploading to tDAR.

               a.  Use the look-up list to select the most appropriate value. You may also see the “REFERENCE” sheet for acceptable metadata values

               b. Acceptable values can be found in the following list: 

CONTACT, AUTHOR, CONTRIBUTOR, EDITOR, TRANSLATOR, FIELD_DIRECTOR, LAB_DIRECTOR, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, PROJECT_DIRECTOR, COLLABORATOR, LANDOWNER, SPONSOR, PERMITTER, REPOSITORY, CREATOR, PREPARER, SUBMITTED_TO

For each document file, provide the following additional bibliographic metadata: 

    13.  documentType: The category of document that best describes each of the digital documents you are ingesting into tDAR.

               a. Use the look-up list to select the most appropriate value. You may also see the “REFERENCE” sheet for acceptable metadata values

               b. Acceptable values can be found in the following list: 

                 BOOK BOOK_SECTION JOURNAL_ARTICLE THESIS CONFERENCE_PRESENTATION OTHER

    13.  seriesName: The name of the publication series to which your digital document belongs.

    14.  seriesNumber: The number given to your document in a publication series.  

    15.  numberOfVolumes: 

    16.  numberOfPages: The number of pages in the document you are ingesting into tDAR. 

    17.  edition: The edition number of a book.

    18.  publisherLocation: The physical location of the publisher that published the document. 

    19.  publisher: The name of the publishing company/institution/organization that published the document. 

    20.  isbn: The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique number assigned to published books and other published material, such as serially published journals. If your document has an ISBN number, enter it into this field. 

    21.  bookTitle: The title of a book that you are ingesting into tDAR.

    22.  issn: 

    23.  doi: A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a unique number assigned to digital objects in a digital environment. The number is used to identify and locate the digital object. If your document has a DOI number, enter it into this field.

    24.  startPage: The page number on which your document begins. 

    25.  endPage: The page number on which your document ends. 

    26.  journalName: The name of the journal that published the document, data set, or image. 

    27.  volume: The volume number of the journal in which your resource was published.  

    28.  journalNumber: The issue number of the journal. 

   Like the documentation of "Resource Creators" for individuals, your digital files may have more than one institution credited with a creation role. You may copy and paste these columns to the right of the first set of columns to document as many institutional creators as necessary (see instructions above)**

    29. ResourceCreator.Institution.name: The name of an institution that played a role in the creation of a digital resource. 

    30. ResourceCreator.role: The role that the institution played in the creation of the resource. 

               a.  Use the look-up list to select the most appropriate value. You may also see the “REFERENCE” sheet for acceptable metadata values

               b. Acceptable values can be found in the following list: 

CONTACT, AUTHOR, CONTRIBUTOR, EDITOR, TRANSLATOR, FIELD_DIRECTOR, LAB_DIRECTOR, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, PROJECT_DIRECTOR, COLLABORATOR, LANDOWNER, SPONSOR, PERMITTER, REPOSITORY, CREATOR, PREPARER, SUBMITTED_TO

Fourth, there are several additional rules you should follow to ensure that the bulk upload of record specific metadata is successful.  

      1.  DO NOT RENAME THE COLUMN NAMES. For your bulk upload to import successfully, you must retain the metadata names so that tDAR can match the columns to the appropriate metadata fields.

      2. You may re-arrange the order of the metadata columns in the spreadsheet such that it meets your workflow process. However, THERE ARE TWO IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS/RULES. 

               a. The “filename” field MUST BE THE FIRST FIELD IN THE SPREADSHEET.

               b. The "ResourceCreator...." sequence (ie., ResourceCreator.Person.lastName, ResourceCreator.Person.firstName., ...) MUST END WITH "ResourceCreator.Role". Thus, you may re-order some of the "ResourceCreator..." fields. However, "ResourceCreator.Role" must be the last field in this sequence. 

      3.  Be sure to save the Excel file frequently to ensure that your work is preserved as you enter your metadata into the spreadsheet.

      4. Once you have completed all metadata entry, save the final version of the spreadsheet.

Finally, upload the completed Excel template spreadsheet to tDAR.

      1.  Under the “Upload a Mapping File” label, click the “Choose File” button. Browse to the location on your local drive or your local network where you saved the Excel template spreadsheet. 

      2.  Select the template spreadsheet. To upload the file, click the “Open” button on the dialogue box.

      3.  Verify that tDAR uploaded your Excel template sheet. You should see the name of your sheet listed next to the “Choose File” button (if you use Safari as your browser.  Firefox will display the pathway to file).

 

 

Uploading the Digital Files

The second step in the bulk upload process is to upload the digital files.  Appropriate file types include: .mdb, .xls, .xlsx, .tif, .jpeg, .pdf, .mdbx, .txt, .bmp, .jpg, .pict, .png, .doc, .docx, .csv, .gif, and .tiff.  

In the “Upload File” section, click on the “Select Files” button. 

               Note: This dialogue box provides you with a list of valid types that you may upload to tDAR.

For each file that you would like to upload, click the "Select Files" button.  Browse to the location on your local drive or your local network where you have saved the digital resource that you would like to upload tDAR. Select the appropriate digital resource. Finally, to upload that resource, click the “Open” button in the dialogue box. 

As you upload each file, BE SURE THAT THE NAME OF THE PHYSICAL FILE MATCHES EXACTLY THE FILE NAME YOU LISTED IN THE EXCEL TEMPLATE SPREADSHEET. Additionally, file names are NOT case sensitive, so Test_File_1.png and test_file_1.png would record in tDAR as the same file.  

tDAR creates an upload record for each individual file that you wish to ingest. The tDAR record provides you with the size of each file.

In addition, tDAR provides you the opportunity to cancel the upload of an individual file. To cancel the upload of an individual file, click on the "delete" button to the left of the file name. 

     Note: 

Restricting Access to Files: Marking a File as Confidential and Marking a File as Embargoed

tDAR provides two different ways to restrict access to files you upload to tdar: 

  1. mark the file as containing confidential information
  2. mark the file as an embargoed resource
Marking a File as Confidential

When you mark a file as containing confidential information, the file itself will never be accessible to the public. The file's metadata remains visible, but the file itself is not visible and cannot be downloaded (unless you give access rights to a specific tDAR user).


 

Why would I mark a resource as "Confidential"? You may choose to mark a resource as confidential if you feel that it contains sensitive data that could endanger an archaeological resource, information that affiliated communities or other interested communities might not wish to be widely available, or information that you are not prepared to share. For example, you may choose to mark a document that contains detailed information on mortuary data as confidential. Such a document might contain information that best remains restricted, to ensure that information is handled respectfully in accordance with the wishes of any affiliated communities. 

When you mark a file confidential, notice that the "embargoed" list box can no longer be edited.

Marking a File as an Embargoed Resource 

When you mark a file as embargoed, you are restricting access to the file for 5 years. In other words, the file will not be accessible to the public for the next 5 years. The file's metadata will be visible during that period, but the file itself is not visible and cannot be downloaded. After the embargo period has ended, the file will become accessible to the public. 

Why would I mark a resource as "Embargoed"? You may choose to mark a file as embargoed to restrict access to the resource for a limited period of time. For example, you may wish to create a document in tDAR for a specialized report that is part of a larger project, which will have a large final report. You would like to store the specialized report and share it with a select group of colleagues working with you on the larger project. However, this report must remain restricted until the project is complete and the final report is published. You can mark this resource as embargoed to indicate that it is restricted for a period of time before it can be made available to the public. 

How do I allow certain users to view my confidential / embargoed resource?

To permit other registered tDAR users to download confidential/embargoed files, you must enter their names into the "Access Rights" fields at the bottom of the document entry page. You can grant ONLY registered tDAR users the access rights to download these files. 

See the "Access Rights" section below. 

Adding Creators

The "Creators" data entry section asks you to list the persons who contributed to the creation of these batch upload metadata records and digital files. A person who contributed to the creation of these records in tDAR may have helped to curate and/or inventory the digital data being ingested, may have compiled the metadata information necessary to complete the template spreadsheet, or may have gathered the files and assisted with the upload.

Remember that you have already credited the resource creators of each individual digital resource that you are ingesting in the batch upload. You completed this documentation in the excel template spreadsheet. This space is reserved for documenting the creators of the metadata records and naming the persons who contributed to the batch upload.  

Begin entering the name of an a creator in one of the name fields in the "Person" data entry section. tDAR will make suggestions from a list of tDAR users and other entered persons (i.e., other creators, authors, editors, etc.). If one of the suggested persons matches the person you wish to identify as an creator, select that person. If the suggested persons do not include the person you want to identify, then enter that person's name, email address, and institutional affiliation as accurately as possible. Enter a current email address and institutional affiliation ONLY if you are confident it is accurate. 

To add additional creators, click on the "add person" button. Enter the appropriate information for that person. 

In some cases, an individual person may not be credited with record creation. Rather, an institution may be identified as a creator. To add an institution as  creator, click on the "add institution" button. 

Adding Identifiers

Identifiers in tDAR can include a wide range of values:

  • contract numbers
  • internal project numbers
  • permit numbers
  • etc.

 

To enter an identifier

  1. click in the "Name" field
  2. begin typing the identifier name. For example: "State of California Contract Number", "BLM Permit Number" 
    1. many fields within tDAR include auto-complete, so tDAR may suggest existing values that match what you've typed
    2. if an existing value matches, select it
    3. enter the identifier value in the "value" text box

 

Adding Identifiers

Identifiers in tDAR can include a wide range of values:

  • contract numbers
  • internal project numbers
  • permit numbers
  • etc. 

To enter an identifier

  1. click in the "Name" field
  2. begin typing the identifier name. For example: "State of California Contract Number", "BLM Permit Number" 
    1. many fields within tDAR include auto-complete, so tDAR may suggest existing values that match what you've typed
    2. if an existing value matches, select it
    3. enter the identifier value in the "value" text box

Investigation Types

Investigation types describe the various types of activities performed during the creation of your resource.  Select as many or as few types that apply.

Note: Hold your cursor over any of the investigation types to obtain a detailed description of the activities that an investigation type includes. 

Inheriting Values

tDAR allows you to "inherit" the metadata that you entered at the project level to describe the documents or other resources associated with that project. Inheriting metadata from the project to the document helps you to simplify your data entry.

You will see a checkbox labeled "Inherit values from parent project" in many of the data entry sections on the document page (and on other resource entry pages). Use this checkbox to inherit the relevant values from the associated project to the individual resource. 

To "inherit" values from the parent project to the document here, check the box labeled "Inherit values from parent project".

What if I change the values in my project?

If you change any metadata values at the project level, tDAR will update those "inherited" values at the resource level. 

For example, if you change "Investigation Types" for your project, any resource that inherited "Investigation Types" from that project will be automatically updated.

What if I only want to inherit "some" of the values in my project?

You can inherit values by clicking on the "inherit values..." box, and then un-select the box to make additional changes that are particular to that resource. For example, you can inherit the spatial information from a project to a related resource. You can then un-select the "inherit values..." box to add or subtract location keyword terms particular to that individual resource. 

You can also use the project as a template for your resource entry. You can simply enable inheritance to "copy" the values from the project, and then turn inheritance off to make specific changes. 

Site Information

The site information section includes the names of the sites associated with your resource and a summary of the types of archaeological resources found at those sites.

Enter as many or as few site names as you would like to describe the work completed in the creation of your resource. Use the "add another site name" to add more sites. Use the " - " box to delete site names that you entered in error or that you no longer want to associate with the project. 

Select the "Site Type" descriptors that best describe the archaeological/cultural resources that occur at the sites you listed in the "Site Name" text boxes.

Note: Click on the " + " box next to a site type to open a more detailed list of descriptions for that particular site type. Select all the type descriptions that apply to the the sites you listed above in the "Site Name" text boxes.

Inheriting Values

tDAR allows you to "inherit" the metadata that you entered at the project level to describe the documents or other resources associated with that project. Inheriting metadata from the project to the document helps you to simplify your data entry.

You will see a checkbox labeled "Inherit values from parent project" in many of the data entry sections on the document page (and on other resource entry pages). Use this checkbox to inherit the relevant values from the associated project to the individual resource. 

To "inherit" values from the parent project to the document here, check the box labeled "Inherit values from parent project".

What if I change the values in my project?

If you change any metadata values at the project level, tDAR will update those "inherited" values at the resource level. 

For example, if you change "Investigation Types" for your project, any resource that inherited "Investigation Types" from that project will be automatically updated.

What if I only want to inherit "some" of the values in my project?

You can inherit values by clicking on the "inherit values..." box, and then un-select the box to make additional changes that are particular to that resource. For example, you can inherit the spatial information from a project to a related resource. You can then un-select the "inherit values..." box to add or subtract location keyword terms particular to that individual resource. 

You can also use the project as a template for your resource entry. You can simply enable inheritance to "copy" the values from the project, and then turn inheritance off to make specific changes. 

Material Types

The material types section describes the types of materials that were collected, analyzed, or discussed in association with your resource. Select as many or as few that apply to your project.

What if my material type is not listed?

If a material type you're expecting is not listed above, you have two options:

  1. enter the material type in the "General Keywords" section
  2. contact tDAR and ask for it to be added 

Inheriting Values

tDAR allows you to "inherit" the metadata that you entered at the project level to describe the documents or other resources associated with that project. Inheriting metadata from the project to the document helps you to simplify your data entry.

You will see a checkbox labeled "Inherit values from parent project" in many of the data entry sections on the document page (and on other resource entry pages). Use this checkbox to inherit the relevant values from the associated project to the individual resource. 

To "inherit" values from the parent project to the document here, check the box labeled "Inherit values from parent project".

What if I change the values in my project?

If you change any metadata values at the project level, tDAR will update those "inherited" values at the resource level. 

For example, if you change "Investigation Types" for your project, any resource that inherited "Investigation Types" from that project will be automatically updated.

What if I only want to inherit "some" of the values in my project?

You can inherit values by clicking on the "inherit values..." box, and then un-select the box to make additional changes that are particular to that resource. For example, you can inherit the spatial information from a project to a related resource. You can then un-select the "inherit values..." box to add or subtract location keyword terms particular to that individual resource. 

You can also use the project as a template for your resource entry. You can simply enable inheritance to "copy" the values from the project, and then turn inheritance off to make specific changes. 

Cultural Terms

Cultural terms describe the archaeological cultures and/or historic population groups who are affiliated with the cultural resources described, presented, or displayed in your resource. Select as many or as few cultural terms as you would like to describe the groups of people affiliated with this resource.

Within tDAR, cultural terms can be specific or general. tDAR will mark specific cultural terms with their generalized equivalents (e.g., "Early Woodland" is also marked as "Woodland"). Thus, if you select  the specific cultural term "Early Woodland", your record will also be found by a user who searches for the more general term "Woodland".

Note: Click on the " + " box next to a cultural term to open a list of more specific cultural terms.

What if the cultural term I want to use is not listed?

If a cultural term you'd like to use is not listed, please add it to the "Other" section at the bottom of the cultural terms section.  Data curators review these terms regularly and update the list of cultural terms to reflect commonly entered values.

Inheriting Values

tDAR allows you to "inherit" the metadata that you entered at the project level to describe the documents or other resources associated with that project. Inheriting metadata from the project to the document helps you to simplify your data entry.

You will see a checkbox labeled "Inherit values from parent project" in many of the data entry sections on the document page (and on other resource entry pages). Use this checkbox to inherit the relevant values from the associated project to the individual resource. 

To "inherit" values from the parent project to the document here, check the box labeled "Inherit values from parent project".

What if I change the values in my project?

If you change any metadata values at the project level, tDAR will update those "inherited" values at the resource level. 

For example, if you change "Investigation Types" for your project, any resource that inherited "Investigation Types" from that project will be automatically updated.

What if I only want to inherit "some" of the values in my project?

You can inherit values by clicking on the "inherit values..." box, and then un-select the box to make additional changes that are particular to that resource. For example, you can inherit the spatial information from a project to a related resource. You can then un-select the "inherit values..." box to add or subtract location keyword terms particular to that individual resource. 

You can also use the project as a template for your resource entry. You can simply enable inheritance to "copy" the values from the project, and then turn inheritance off to make specific changes. 

Spatial Terms

Spatial information describes the location of your project area and/or the location associated with a particular project resource (document, image, etc).  The spatial information entry section includes two separate components:

  1. general location keywords, including named regions, geographic features, states, towns, etc.
  2. a map that allows you to draw a box around your project area

Note: If you draw a project location box that is 1 square mile or less in area, tDAR will display a wider box to other users to protect your project area/site location. See the section "What if I want to hide my site location?" below. 

Drawing a bounding box around your site

  1. Use the Google Map display to navigate to your site location
  2. click the "Select Region" button
  3. draw a box that best approximates the area that your project investigated, or the area that is associated with your resource 

Entering Coordinates Manually

If you know the exact coordinates of your project or study area, you can enter them manually into tDAR. Click on the checkbox next to "Enter / View Coordinates." Coordinates can be entered in several different formats. For example:

  • 40°44′55″N
  • 53 08 50N
  • Decimal: -73.9864

What if I want to hide my site location?

tDAR provides a number of options to protect the exact location of your project area and/or sites.  If your bounding box is less than 1 mile square, tDAR will alter that box when it is displayed to users to obfuscate or hide the exact location.  Alternately, you may simply draw a wider box.

What if I entered my site location incorrectly?

Simply click the reset button. You may also click on the "Enter / View Coordinates" and adjust the spatial information manually.

Inheriting Values

tDAR allows you to "inherit" the metadata that you entered at the project level to describe the documents or other resources associated with that project. Inheriting metadata from the project to the document helps you to simplify your data entry.

You will see a checkbox labeled "Inherit values from parent project" in many of the data entry sections on the document page (and on other resource entry pages). Use this checkbox to inherit the relevant values from the associated project to the individual resource. 

To "inherit" values from the parent project to the document here, check the box labeled "Inherit values from parent project".

What if I change the values in my project?

If you change any metadata values at the project level, tDAR will update those "inherited" values at the resource level. 

For example, if you change "Investigation Types" for your project, any resource that inherited "Investigation Types" from that project will be automatically updated.

What if I only want to inherit "some" of the values in my project?

You can inherit values by clicking on the "inherit values..." box, and then un-select the box to make additional changes that are particular to that resource. For example, you can inherit the spatial information from a project to a related resource. You can then un-select the "inherit values..." box to add or subtract location keyword terms particular to that individual resource. 

You can also use the project as a template for your resource entry. You can simply enable inheritance to "copy" the values from the project, and then turn inheritance off to make specific changes. 

Temporal Coverage

Temporal coverage includes temporal keyword terms, calendar date ranges, and radio carbon date ranges (if available) for the archaeological/cultural resources associated with this resource.

Enter as many or as few temporal terms as you would like to describe the temporal coverage of your resource. Use the "add another temporal keyword" box to add additional terms. Use the " - " box to delete a temporal term that you entered in error or that you would like to remove from your project description. 

Enter a calendar start date and a calendar end date for the sites or other archaeological/cultural resources that your project investigated. Use only numeric values in the calendar date text boxes (Do not enter calendar era designations such as "B.C.E" or "A.D."). To denote a date in the "B.C.E." designation, simply place a " - " before the date's numeric value. Thus, " - 200 " is equivalent to " 200 B. C. E."

If available, enter a radiocarbon start date and an end date for your project's archaeological resources. 

Inheriting Values

tDAR allows you to "inherit" the metadata that you entered at the project level to describe the documents or other resources associated with that project. Inheriting metadata from the project to the document helps you to simplify your data entry.

You will see a checkbox labeled "Inherit values from parent project" in many of the data entry sections on the document page (and on other resource entry pages). Use this checkbox to inherit the relevant values from the associated project to the individual resource. 

To "inherit" values from the parent project to the document here, check the box labeled "Inherit values from parent project".

What if I change the values in my project?

If you change any metadata values at the project level, tDAR will update those "inherited" values at the resource level. 

For example, if you change "Investigation Types" for your project, any resource that inherited "Investigation Types" from that project will be automatically updated.

What if I only want to inherit "some" of the values in my project?

You can inherit values by clicking on the "inherit values..." box, and then un-select the box to make additional changes that are particular to that resource. For example, you can inherit the spatial information from a project to a related resource. You can then un-select the "inherit values..." box to add or subtract location keyword terms particular to that individual resource. 

You can also use the project as a template for your resource entry. You can simply enable inheritance to "copy" the values from the project, and then turn inheritance off to make specific changes. 

General Keywords

General keywords allow you to add any additional terms that are not included in the other resource metadata.  This may include specific types of investigations undertaken as part of resource creation (e.g., "material sourcing","ceramic petrography","experimental archaeology"), specific site types ("rock gardens", "ground stone production area","shrine"), etc.

Enter these keywords into the text provided. If you decide to enter additional keywords, enter succinct keyword terms that accurately describe your project. Also, enter succinct terms that researchers in your area use commonly. 

Inheriting Values

tDAR allows you to "inherit" the metadata that you entered at the project level to describe the documents or other resources associated with that project. Inheriting metadata from the project to the document helps you to simplify your data entry.

You will see a checkbox labeled "Inherit values from parent project" in many of the data entry sections on the document page (and on other resource entry pages). Use this checkbox to inherit the relevant values from the associated project to the individual resource. 

To "inherit" values from the parent project to the document here, check the box labeled "Inherit values from parent project".

What if I change the values in my project?

If you change any metadata values at the project level, tDAR will update those "inherited" values at the resource level. 

For example, if you change "Investigation Types" for your project, any resource that inherited "Investigation Types" from that project will be automatically updated.

What if I only want to inherit "some" of the values in my project?

You can inherit values by clicking on the "inherit values..." box, and then un-select the box to make additional changes that are particular to that resource. For example, you can inherit the spatial information from a project to a related resource. You can then un-select the "inherit values..." box to add or subtract location keyword terms particular to that individual resource. 

You can also use the project as a template for your resource entry. You can simply enable inheritance to "copy" the values from the project, and then turn inheritance off to make specific changes. 

Resource Provider

The "Resource Provider" section records the institution that "owns" the resource (i.e., sponsored the production or publication of the document) and/or that gave you permission to upload the resource to tDAR. For example, if the Bureau of Land Management sponsored a report and they provided you permission to upload that report to tDAR, the BLM should be entered in the "Resource Provider" section.

Individual & Institutional Credit

Individual and institutional credit fields allow you to record the roles that various people and institutions played in the creation of your resource.

The "Person" field captures the names, contact information, and roles of the different people that contributed to your resource. When you begin to type in any of the listed fields, tDAR will suggest users that are already in tDAR. Begin entering text into any of the following fields to obtain a drop-down list of registered tDAR users: 

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Institution
  • Email

Select a user that matches the person you would like to enter. If you do not find the person in the drop-down list, enter that person and their current contact information (i.e., current email address and current institutional affiliation) as accurately as you can.If you are unsure of a person's email address and their current institutional affiliation, please leave those record boxes blank. Finally, select the role that this person played in your project. 

The "Institution" field captures the names and roles of institutions that contributed to your project. Begin entering text in the "Institution Name" record box to obtain a drop-down list of institutions currently entered into tDAR. Select the institution that matches the one you would like to enter. If you do not find that institution in the drop-down list, enter the full name manually. 

To add additional persons and/or institutions, click on the "add person" and/or the "add institution" buttons. If a person or an institution played more than one role in your project, you will need to a separate record for that person or institution to record that role. 

Resource Notes

The resource notes field allows you to enter any additional information about your resource that is not captured in the resource metadata fields. This field acts as a comments section, where you can enter a small narrative that might help other users better understand some important aspect of the resource you are uploading to tDAR. 

Select the type of note you wish to create from the "Type" drop-down box. Enter your note in the text field provided. 

Access Rights

At the resource (e.g., document) level, access rights allow you (the project creator) to specify two kinds of users: 

  1. full-rights users -- users who can modify the resource's metadata AND manage/download resource files
  2. read-only users -- users who can view and download the resource file

Note that access rights allow you to control ONLY who can EDIT the resource metadata and who can VIEW and DOWNLOAD the resource fill. Access rights do NOT allow you to control who can view the resource metadata. 

To specify full-right's users, enter user information in the "Users Who Can Modify This Resource" fields. Enter the names of persons who have the right to edit resource metadata and manage/download resource files. You can grant access rights ONLY to registered tDAR users. When you begin to type in any of the text boxes provided, tDAR will provide suggestions to you from among its registered users. Select the tDAR user(s) that have the right to edit this resource. 

To specify read-only users, enter user information in the "Users Who Can View/Download the Attached File(s)" field. Enter the names of persons who have the right to view and download resource files. You can grant these rights ONLY to registered tDAR users. When you begin to type in any of the text boxes provided, tDAR will provide suggestions to you from among its registered users. Select the tDAR user(s) that have the right to download attached files.

Why don't I see the "Users who can view/download the attached file(s)" section?

This access rights section is only visible when you mark a resource as confidential or as embargoed. 

If you did not mark your resource as confidential or as embargoed, then your resource file(s) are available to all tDAR users. You cannot control the access rights to the file(s). You will need to mark these resources as confidential or embargoed if you would like to control access.

Done? Time to Save

Once you've completed your resource entry, click the "Submit" button at the bottom of the project page to save your metadata.

Troubleshooting

Labels
  • None