AFINET KC (and Zenodo also) have a simple model of data units. A registered user can upload a set of one or more files that become a data 'deposition'. The file is tagged with some simple metadata and is then published to KC (and Zenodo) which assigns it a permanent DOI.
Each user has control over each of their 'depositions' during the upload process. Each deposition also has a public 'record' page showing the metadata. The access to the files themselves is controlled by the owner's choice of one of four access rights options:
|
Access model |
Description |
|
'open' |
All files are immediately downloadable from the public record for the upload. |
|
'embargoed' |
All files are downloadable from the public record after an embargo date set by the owner. |
|
'restricted' |
Other users may request access to the files from the original owner through Zenodo. |
|
'closed' |
Other users can only see the metadata for the record. |
The combination of these options means that users can easily control access to their data at the level of individual depositions. Unlike Dropbox (or other cloud file service), there is also no problem with the archive getting full.