How to upload linked files, embargoed and restricted access items, and metadata records only

There are a number of reasons why you may want to conditionally upload your files:

• There may be ethically or commercially sensitive data
• You may not have permission to make the data available (i.e. the research hasn’t be published yet)
• Your data may be stored somewhere else, but you want to link to it to get a DOI

1. How to link an external file

Click the Link file button at the top of the screen and copy the link in the box. This option only appears if you haven’t uploaded a file to the item. The below GIF includes an example of a linked file item on Figshare.

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2. How to upload an embargoed item and restricted access

Select the Apply Embargo and restricted access button. Select a time period for the embargo; for permanent embargoes, select 'permanent embargo' at the bottom of the dropdown menu. Choose whether the embargo is on the files only or on the entire content (files and metadata). Depending on how your institution has configured restricted publishing, you may see additional options for who can access the embargoed content.

• Nobody: nobody will have access to the embargoed content publicly until the embargo period expires.
• Administration: only users authorised by your institution will have access to the embargoed content until the embargo period expires.
• Custom: under this option, the item owner can choose whether to restrict access to logged in users of one or more groups within the institution and/or users within a certain IP range.

The item owner can also change the title of the embargo (the standard text is 'File(s) under embargo') and add an optional reason as to why this item is under an embargo. This is useful for people who are viewing the public metadata record.

Your institution may have an option configured to allow users to request access to your restricted files. You can include additional context for anyone requesting access to the files. If anyone requests access to your restricted files through this feature, you and your institutional administrators will receive an email request to grant access.

Please note: there is currently no way to share restricted access files with a user in the interface. This has to be done using an external service.

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3. How to make metadata records

Tick the Metadata record only box at the top of the screen and enter a reason. This option only appears if you haven’t uploaded a file to the item. The below GIF includes an example of a metadata record.

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