DataCite Consortium Member Responsibilities

About this page

This page forms part of the DataCite Membership Agreement and is incorporated into it by reference. A Consortium Member is bound by it in the same way as by the DataCite Membership and Services Terms and Conditions, and terms defined in Appendix A of those Terms have the same meaning here.

DataCite updates this page from time to time as the consortium model develops. Where an update materially changes a Consortium Member's responsibilities, DataCite will publish the updated page and notify each Consortium Member no fewer than sixty (60) days before the change takes effect, in accordance with §17 of the Terms and Conditions. Earlier versions are available on request from [email protected].

1. Overview of the consortium model

A DataCite Consortium is a group of organizations that participate in DataCite through a single Member. The Consortium Member is the Member of the association; the Consortium Organizations are not individual members and are represented by the Consortium Member in the General Assembly and in all dealings with DataCite.

The relationship is a partnership. The Consortium Member is closest to its community and provides local, first-line support and administration. DataCite provides the shared open infrastructure, second-line technical support, and the resources the Consortium Member needs to do its part.

Support is organised in two tiers:

Tier 1 — the Consortium Member. First line of contact for Consortium Organizations on administrative and technical matters.
Tier 2 — DataCite. Technical escalation, troubleshooting and infrastructure.

2. Tier 1 support and community engagement

The Consortium Member is responsible for Tier 1 support: the initial support level covering basic issues including login, DOI registration, metadata requirements and best practice. The Consortium Member catalyses adoption of DOIs among its Consortium Organizations, making sure that they understand why and how to make use of DataCite open infrastructure. This includes:

• Acting as the first line of contact for the Consortium, for both DataCite and the Consortium Organizations, on administrative and technical issues.
• Facilitating the initial onboarding of the Consortium with DataCite.
  Taking responsibility for onboarding new organizations as they join the Consortium.
• Providing guidance to Consortium Organizations aligned with community standards and best practices.
• Providing relevant resources to assist new and existing Consortium Organizations, in the local language where appropriate.
• Escalating to DataCite any issue that cannot be resolved at Tier 1.

3. DataCite account administration

The Consortium Member administers its Consortium in DataCite Fabrica. This includes:

• Understanding DataCite's Terms and Conditions and sharing them with the Consortium Organizations, so that each organization understands the obligations that apply to it under the Agreement.
• Working with DataCite to establish accounts for organizations in both the test and production systems.
• Maintaining the Consortium Organization List in DataCite Fabrica so that it accurately reflects the organizations the Consortium Member represents.
• Monitoring the Consortium and keeping track of new Repositories being added.
  Ensuring each Consortium Organization designates a repository contact, and advising
• DataCite of any changes to that information.
• Taking responsibility for the transfer of DOIs when an organization leaves the Consortium.

4. Consortium governance

The Consortium Member is responsible for establishing and maintaining the local governance of the Consortium, including:

• The purpose and scope of the Consortium.
• How the Consortium is organised and how decisions are taken.
• The criteria and process for admitting a new Consortium Organization.
• The process by which a Consortium Organization may leave the Consortium.

The Consortium Member represents all organizations within the Consortium and takes on the membership responsibilities dictated by DataCite's statutes. It exercises the Consortium's single vote in the General Assembly and is encouraged to stand for the DataCite Executive Board.

5. Billing and cost recovery

The Consortium Member acts as the primary billing and administrative liaison between DataCite and all Consortium Organizations. Specifically, the Consortium Member:

• Receives a single consolidated annual invoice from DataCite covering the Membership Fee and all other Fees payable in respect of the Consortium.

• Receives prorated invoices for any Consortium Organizations added during the calendar year, for that organization's initial calendar year.

• Is responsible for managing the internal billing and cost-recovery process with its individual Consortium Organizations. DataCite does not invoice Consortium Organizations directly.

• Provides DataCite with evidence of its status as a legal business entity, and appropriate certification where it is exempt from VAT.

Fees are set out in the Fee Structures published at datacite.org/fees. The Membership Fee is approved by the General Assembly; all other Fee Structures are approved by the Executive Board in consultation with the General Assembly.

6. Organizations joining or leaving the Consortium

When an organization joins the Consortium, the Consortium Member adds it to the Consortium Organization List, onboards it, and confirms that it understands and accepts the Terms and Conditions that apply to it.

When an organization leaves the Consortium, or discontinues its registration of DOIs, the Consortium Member is responsible for the transfer of the relevant DOIs and must make reasonable efforts to ensure that each Identifier assigned to that organization's Content continues to resolve to a Landing Page. This obligation survives the organization's departure from the Consortium.

7. DataCite's responsibilities

DataCite is responsible for Tier 2 support of the Consortium. Tier 2 support involves technical knowledge and troubleshooting capabilities, and includes:

• Providing administrative support to the Consortium Member.
• Providing training to the Consortium Member, including technical troubleshooting and escalation, bugs and fixes, and advanced technical workflows not documented in DataCite Support.
• Providing and maintaining resources for technical implementation, communication and engagement.

Operating and maintaining the shared open infrastructure to which the Membership Fee and other Fees contribute.

Questions:
Contact [email protected].