---

Next to the actual data file, each Metapsy database repository also contains a folder in which metadata is stored. Metadata items may vary between repositories, but a core selection of files is always included. We focus on these metadata items here.

Metadata Items

---

The following standard metadata items are always included in the metadata repository folder:

• 📄 authors.json: A .json file containing the authors or owners of the the database, as well as their ORCID research ID.
• 📄 last_search.txt: A .txt file containing the date of the last search update, in the YYYY-MM-DD format.
• 📄 number_studies.txt: A .txt file containing the number of studies included in the current version of the database.
• 📄 search_flow.json. A .json file, containing a JSON object (key-value pairs). Please note that all keys need to be specified with a number; if one of the keys does not apply, set the value to 0. Under "full.text.excluded.reasons", it is possible to give various reasons for full-text exclusion. Reasons can be adapted freely for each database - the ones in the linked template are just examples.
• 📄 search_string.txt: A .txt file showing the employed search string(s).
• 📄 shorthand.txt: A .txt file with the metapsyData shorthand of the database.
• 📄 variable_description.json: A .json file, containing a JSON object (key-value pairs). The key represents the variable name, while the value component includes a description or explanation provided for the database variable (e.g. information on the meaning of factor levels).

There are also additional metadata items stored at the base of the repository:

• 📄 license: A file that contains the license under which the data is shared. This is either the license text itself, or a persistent identifier to the license. By default, all datasets are assigned with a Open Data Commons Attribution License (ODC-By) v1.0 license, which allows anyone to share and adapt the data, as well as to create works from the it, provided that the original database is attributed.
• 📄 readme.md: A markdown file in which the topic and contents of the database are briefly summarized. This readme text will also be displayed on Zenodo. The readme also contains a badge with a database DOI, which will only be filled in once the database is finally released.