How to Use ICPSR's Online Deposit System

Follow these steps once you’re ready to deposit

Step 1: Click on ‘Start Deposit’

Access the start deposit button from the deposit page.

Step 2: Fill out questionnaire

Question 1: Was your data collection funded by one of the following agencies?

• If “Yes” – select the correct funding agency. Click on “Deposit to ICPSR,” and skip to Step 3.
• If “No” – you can still deposit data with ICPSR! Continue to Question 2.

Question 2 (if you answered “No” to Question #1): Are you archiving your data because a journal or a publisher requires the data be available for replication?

• If “Yes” – ICPSR highly encourages depositors to use openICPSR for data related to journals or for replication purposes. Click on “Deposit Data to openICPSR” and follow the instructions there.
• If “No” – Click on “Deposit to ICPSR” and continue with Step 3.

Step 3: Sign in to Researcher Passport

Find out more about How to Log In or Create a New ICPSR Account.

Step 4: In the “Create Project” window

Provide three pieces of information:

1. Archive – automatically populates the correct archive based on the funding agency selected in Question 1.
2. Project title – select a name for your project. According to the Metadata Initial Steps that ICPSR staff follow, a good project title has three parts: the main title, the geography, and the dates. For example, a good project title would be: “National Wellbeing Survey, United States, 2022.”
3. “Is this deposit related to an existing ICPSR data…” – if you don’t know the answer, click no (most of the time, the answer is no).

Click “Save & Apply”

Step 5: In the “Project Workspace”…

1. Upload data and documentation files.
2. Fill out the metadata. Learn more about ICPSR’s metadata practices and standards.
3. When done, click submit to ICPSR.

If you need help while in the Project Workspace, you can view tips along the way (indicated by the little icon question marks), click on ‘report a problem,’ or email ICPSR-help@umich.edu.

Step 7: You are done!

You will get a notification of your submission, as will an ICPSR Staff member.