How to Contribute Analysis and Results Data

How to contribute derived data:

To contribute derived data or data generated from raw or primary data through a process of transformation, analysis, or aggregation, please get in touch with the DMCC through the service desk and select the “Add Derived Data” form. Derived data is not data that is collected directly, but instead created by applying algorithms, statistical methods, or computational processes to existing data.

Scenario: An EL researcher has published a manuscript or data analysis publication and needs to inform the DMCC to include a link to the paper and its supplemental material in the ELITE Portal.

Scenario: An EL researcher has a publication coming out, and the data/results cannot be hosted in the journal supplement (e.g., files are too large, require governance, or another reason), and needs to upload the derived data directly to Synapse.

Examples of derived data include:

• Averages or summary statistics (e.g., mean age from individual age data)

• Gene expression fold-changes derived from raw sequencing counts

• Disease risk scores computed from clinical measurements

• Normalized or standardized datasets

In research contexts, derived data is often used to facilitate analysis, reduce complexity, or protect sensitive raw data.

What metadata is required for uploading derived data?

The DMCC collects a minimum set of metadata provided by data contributors and applies annotations to data files, both surfacing files and links on the ELITE Portal and facilitating FAIR data, making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. The Analysis and Results metadata template can be found on the ELITE Metadata Dictionary site for viewing and downloading.

Can I upload or provide additional metadata?

Yes! Analysis and Results metadata refers to descriptive information that documents how a scientific analysis was performed and what results were obtained. This type of metadata provides essential context to understand, reproduce, and interpret the outcomes of a study or experiment. The DMCC encourages data contributors to upload additional metadata files, whether they are linking to a manuscript or hosting the supplementary materials directly on Synapse. These may include files such as:

• data_dictionary.csv

• variable_definitions.tsv

• results_summary.csv

• differential_expression_results.tsv

• significant_genes_metadata.json

• analysis_metadata.tsv

• pipeline_parameters.json

• DEG_analysis_summary.csv

• study_metadata.json

• study_info.csv

Analysis and results metadata captures key details about:

• What was analyzed (e.g., datasets, sample groups, variables, files)

• How it was analyzed (e.g., methods, tools, parameters, workflows, protocols)

• What was found (e.g., statistical outputs, key metrics, result files)

• Where to find supporting materials (e.g., DOIs, stable URLs, electronic notebooks, etc.)

It supports transparency, reproducibility, and data reuse.

Examples:

1. Analysis Metadata:

   • Software or pipeline used (e.g., DESeq2 v1.38.0)

   • Parameters or settings (e.g., FDR threshold = 0.05)

   • Input datasets or file references (e.g., RNA-seq count matrix, phenotype table)

   • Date the analysis was run

   • Analysis type (e.g., differential gene expression, clustering, regression)

2. Results Metadata:

   • Number of significant features (e.g., 432 differentially expressed genes)

   • Output files (e.g., volcano plot image, table of adjusted p-values)

   • Summary statistics (e.g., effect sizes, confidence intervals)

   • Visualization files (e.g., heatmaps, PCA plots)

In Synapse and the ELITE Portal, this metadata often accompanies the result files to make the work interpretable and reusable by others.

Please contact the EL DMCC through our service desk to initiate the process of uploading or indexing derived data on the ELITE Portal.