Yoda

Yoda is an application for institutions that supports RDM throughout the entire research cycle: from the safe and easy storage and sharing of data during the research process, to the sharing of data within research groups and projects and ultimately to research data archiving and publication.

Yoda and FAIR data

Yoda helps the researcher make their data “FAIR” by providing a solution that enables data discovery and sharing (i.e., findable, accessible). In addition, it facilitates and enforces the use of metadata, thereby, contributing to data interoperability and reusability. Yoda provides a platform for the implementation of standard workflows that can ensure metadata quality satisfying (institutional) policy requirements, for example, for data archiving and publication. In addition, Yoda’s integration with iRODS forms a single platform that accommodates both researchers with data heavy requirements, as well as those seeking an accessible, user-friendly solution.

Yoda for the researcher

Yoda makes use of iRODS as a foundation technology. However, it is much easier to use thereby making it more accessible to a wide range of researchers.

Yoda presents researchers a comfortable, easy-to-use solution for securely storing, sharing and organising their research data that follows the internationally adopted FAIR data principles. Many research institutions and funding organisations (such as NWO and ZonMw) require researchers to make their data FAIR. You can invite both VU and non-VU collaborators to work with you in Yoda.

The following features make Yoda particularly attractive for researchers (end-users):

• Easy-to-use (web-based, graphical user interface and the WebDAV interface)
• Supports the entire research process from data acquisition to publication
• Supports standardised workflows for the storage and archiving of research data
• Direct coupling between data and metadata (including flexible metadata schemas)
• Data publication and the associated minting of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)
• A flexible integration with iRODS that also caters for (very) data-intensive research.
• Secure authentication using institutional accounts (both national and international) or eduID

Yoda is open source software developed and maintained by Utrecht University for the Yoda Consortium, of which VU Amsterdam is a member.

Access to Yoda

Yoda is available for every VU researcher. If you need space to store data for your research project, you can request it via the linked form.

Once the project space has been created you can start to invite your collaborators.

Getting Started

VU Amsterdam Yoda website has practical information on the use of the Yoda for users starting with Yoda.

More information can be found on the SURFsara Knowledge Base

The Yoda site of Utrecht University also contains useful information and is being redeveloped so it can also be used by VU Amsterdam and the other Consortium Partners.