Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the IMI Data Catalog and how to use it. If you have a question that isn't answered here, please don't hesitate to contact us.

What is the IMI Data Catalog?

For more information on the IMI Data Catalog, see our About page.

Why does the Data Catalog look different to the last time I visited?

We recently did some major redevelopment work on the IMI Data Catalog, including creating a new user interface, implementing a new data model based on the DATS model and recurating a lot of the content. We are still in the process of adding some of the older projects into the new model. If you urgently need access to any of the old Catalog entries, we have an archived version of the old Data Catalog available.

What is the difference between "Project", "Study" and "Dataset"?

The data model on which the IMI Data Catalog distinguishes between these three categories:

The Project view presents high-level information about Data Catalog entries, such as title, general research area, and publications, as well as funding and contributor contact information.

The Study view presents a range of metadata describing the data acquisition process such as sample and protocol information.

The Dataset view presents metadata about collections of data associated with projects, including version numbers and creation dates, links to source data and general.

We currently only hold Project-level information for the majority of IMI projects. Populating Study- and Dataset-level information for all projects is an ongoing process, so you may find empty place-holder pages for many of these.

How can I search the IMI Data Catalog?

You can search each of the three aspects (Project, Study and Dataset) separately, using a number of factors including title, disease, species, keywords, data types etc. The search functionality is under active development as we work on providing an integrated experience across the entire Catalog.

How can I request access to a dataset?

On each Dataset page, you will find a "Request access" button, which allows you to submit a data access request to the system. Please note that data access requests are currently processed manually. We are not able to provide or facilitate dataset access for projects with Dataset placeholder (empty) pages at this stage. We are working on improving the data access request process through automation and by adding more dataset-level content.

What does the "FAIRplus Evaluated" badge signify?

The FAIRplus project works on developing tools and guidelines for making life science data FAIR, using a range of IMI projects as data sources to showcase and test its output. The "FAIRplus Evaluated" badge highlights projects which have been processed by the FAIRplus project, undergoing at least one "FAIRification cycle", including an evaluation of FAIRness before and after the FAIRification work. A link to the FAIRplus evaluation is available on relevant Dataset pages.

How do I report a bug or request a new feature?

Please submit any bug reports and feature requests to the issue tracker on the FAIRplus Data Catalog Github repo. We'd love to hear from you!

I think my project should be in the Data Catalog but it isn't. How can I get it included?

To talk to us about Data Catalog content, please either create a ticket on our issue tracker or drop us an email.

I have found a mistake in the metdata for my project. How can I get it fixed?

To correct existing Data Catalog content, please submit a ticket on our issue tracker.