CNSA FAQ

What is CNSA?

CNGB Sequence Archive (CNSA) is a convenient and efficient archiving system of multi-omics data in life science, which provides archiving services for raw sequencing reads and further analyzed results. CNSA follows the international data standards for omics data, and supports online and batch submission of multiple data types such as Project, Sample, Experiment/Run, Assembly, Variation, Metabolism, Single cell, Sequence. Its data submission service can be used as a supplement to the literature publishing process to support early data sharing.

What data can be submitted to CNSA?

CNSA currently accepts metadata or data files of project, sample, experiment/run, assembly, variation, metabolism, single cell and sequence.

What is metadata?

Metadata is data that describes an information resource or a data object. For example, metadata of experiment/run refers to a description of experiment/run data, such as sequencing platform, library strategy, etc.; data files of experiment/run refer to files of sequencing reads.

How to submit data?

Please click "Submit" or “Submission portal” in the navigation bar of CNSA homepage, select the data type, and follow the page prompts to submit the metadata or data files. Users can view the data upload options in “My service” if they will upload data files. For the FTP upload method, refer to FTP data upload. For the MD5 value calculation, refer to MD5 check. For a simple data submission process, refer to the “CNSA Handbook (simple version in English)”. For detailed data submission process, please refer to “Data Submission”.

How to upload data via FTP?

Please first download the FTP client, such as the Filezilla FTP client, log in with the ftp server, username and password provided by CNSA, and upload the data files. The FTP server, username and password can be viewed in the data submission process or “My service”. For details on how to upload, please refer to "FTP data upload".

What is the MD5 and MD5 check?

MD5 (Message Digest Algorithm 5) is a hash function which calculates a hash value (MD5 number, 32-digit numbers and letters) of a given file. An MD5 checksum can be computed for a file before and after transfer to verify whether the file was transmitted successfully. For details on how to generate MD5 values, refer to “MD5 check”.

How does CNSA support the long-term preservation of archived data?

CNGBdb (CNSA) has a standardized data preservation system to the requirements of relevant national laws and regulations, and provides reliable and long-term preservation services for the submitted scientific data. CNGBdb (CNSA) has a comprehensive long-term data preservation plan. CNGBdb (CNSA) applies the latest data preservation techniques (including but not limited to data encryption, data backup, etc.) to ensure that archived data are permanently preserved, and will not be lost due to technological development. For details, please see: Preservation Plan.

What are the data access manners of CNSA?

CNSA advocates the concept of open sharing and believes that open access to data is crucial for scientific discoveries. In order to promote the sharing and reuse of biological data, CNSA adheres to the TRUST and FAIR principles, offering both public and controlled data management approaches.

What is public data? How to set up data public?

Public Data refers to data whose data access manner is "Public". This includes making both the metadata and data files associated with the project publicly available. The public data will be open for access worldwide, allowing users to browse and download. CNSA uses CC BY 4.0 license for public data.

If you prefer to manage data in a 'Public' manner, please select the 'Public' option in the data access manner module during the project submission process.

What is controlled data? How to set up data controlled?

Controlled Data refers to data whose data access manner is "Controlled". That is, the metadata associated with the project will be public and the data files will be controlled. Users can apply for access to Controlled Data.

If you prefer to manage data in a 'Controlled' manner, please select the 'Controlled' option in the data access manner module during the project submission process.

How to view the status and accessions of submitted data?

Please click on "My Submission" on the CNSA homepage to view it. In the “Status” column you can view the corresponding submission ID or download the metadata file with accessions.

What are the rules for CNSA's data numbering?

CNSA will automatically assign numbers, prefixed by CNP (project), CNS (sample), CNSebb (EBB sample), CNX (experimental), CNR (run), CNA (assembly), varc (variation), METM (metabolism), CSE (single cell), etc. Please refer to the "Numbering rules" for specific numbering rules.

How to explain each status of submissions?

Status	Explanation
Unfinished	The data submission process has not yet reached the final step.
Processing	The data submission process has been completed and the data has not been reviewed or in review.
Processed	The data has been reviewed and has a release date, but has not reached the release date.
Controlled	The data has been reviewed and has no release date and cannot be made public.
Public	The data has been reviewed and public on the release date set by the data submitter.

How to modify the submitted data?

Please click on "My submission" on the CNSA homepage to find the object that needs to be modified, click the “pencil icon” to modify it, the scope of the modifiability and the requirements for the fields can be found in the modification process. Please do not create a new submission to submit similar information for the purpose of modification! Modifications do not affect the reference to assigned accession! If you need to modify the object without pencil icon or delete some objects, you can apply for modification or deletion at datasubs@cngb.org and provide the corresponding accession.

How to change the release date?

There are three data management manners of CNSA: Public, Controlled and Private. You can choose a data management manner when submitting a project. The release date of the public data and the metadata release date of the controlled data can be set in the project submission process. If you need to modify the release date, please click “My submission” on the CNSA homepage to find out the submission that you need to modify.

If the status of the project is “Unfinished”, click the “pencil icon” in the project “status” column to enter the process to modify the release date.

If the status of the project is "Processing" or "Processed", you can click the date of the “release date” column or "pencil icon" to modify the release date.

If the status of the project is "Public" or "Controlled", please send an email to datasubs@cngb.org to apply for the modification and indicate the project accession and the reason for the change.

How to modify the data access manner?

If you need to modify the Data access manner, please send an e-mail to datasubs@cngb.org with the project accession number and the reason for the modifications. The data administrator will send the "Application Form for Modification in Data Access Manner" to you.

Please fill in the form carefully, and ensure that all information (including but not limited to the given information) involved in this application for modification of Data access manner and any documents / materials sent to CNGBdb have been strictly reviewed.

Once completed the application, an electronic form (in DOC / DOCX version) and a scanned copy of the signed form, and the required materials such as record-filing form (if necessary) must be e-mailed to datasubs@cngb.org as soon as possible.

Please note that the platform only accepts Data access manner modification application on the basis of the project, and does not accept changes in the data access manner of partial data under the same project number. If you have such needs, please submit two or more projects at the beginning of the data submission.

What review is required for submitted data?

Material Review：the data administrator (datasubs@cngb.org) will review the submission application, and its consistency with other materials (if any) provided by you. Please note that the review time is generally 5 working days. During the review period, you can continue to submit other data.

Data Review：the data administrator (datasubs@cngb.org) will conduct the data review after the material review is passed. We review the completeness, the correctness, and the relevance of the submitted data. If the submitted data is incorrect, a notification e-mail will be sent to you by the data administrator. Depending on the sample size and the amount of data submitted, the data review takes 5 to 7 working days.

After the review is over, the data administrator will inform you by email that the review is approved or the application is terminated. If the review is passed, your data will be archived as public data, controlled data or private data in accordance with the data access manner you choose.

How to cite the data you submitted?

If your data has been submitted to the CNGBdb-CNSA, you can add the following words to your manuscript to cite the accession number in CNGBdb:

English:

The data that support the findings of this study have been deposited into CNGB Sequence Archive (CNSA) ^[1] of China National GeneBank DataBase (CNGBdb) ^[2] with accession number CNPXXXXXXX.

Chinese:

该研究的相关结果数据已收录在国家基因库生命大数据平台（CNGBdb）^[2] 的国家基因库序列归档系统（CNSA）^[1]，项目编号：CNPXXXXXXX。

[1] Guo XQ, Chen FZ, Gao F, et al. CNSA: a data repository for archiving omics data. Database (Oxford). 2020;2020:baaa055. DOI: 10.1093/database/baaa055.

[2] Chen FZ, You LJ, Yang F, et al. CNGBdb: China National GeneBank DataBase. Hereditas. 2020;42(08):799-809. DOI: 10.16288/j.yczz.20-080.

How to get a reviewer link?

If your data is controlled, please send an email with the project accession to datasubs@cngb.org. If the data is public, you can enter the CNSA project accession directly in the search box on the CNSA homepage and send a link to the searched data detail page to the magazine. Currently we can provide reviewer links of project, sample, experiment/run, assembly, and variant. The reviewer link is valid for 2 months. if you need to postpone, please send an email to datasubs@cngb.org to apply for an extension, and you need to indicate the reviewer link in the email.

How do I share my project?

You can share your project using the project accession (CNPXXXXXXX). CNSA will automatically generate a project accession (CNPXXXXXXX) after you complete the project submission. The project accession can be found in your "Personal center". This project accession can be searched on the CNSA website after your project is public.

You can share your project with DOI. DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a permanent and unique digital resource identifier. CNSA will automatically assign a DOI to your project number (e.g. 10.26036/CNPXXXXXXX) after your project is public. You can share your project using this assigned DOI. For more details about DOI, please visit doi.org.

How to retrieve data?

The public data can be searched by entering keywords such as the accession in the search box of the CNSA homepage.

How to download data?

Only public data allows users to download freely. Users can click the “Download” button in the CNSA homepage navigation bar to enter the CNSA FTP download page to download data. You can also enter the data accession in the search box on the home page and enter the search details page to download. When downloading and using publicly available data, please follow the "CNSA User Instructions".

How to apply for controlled data?

Controlled data refers to data that the metadata associated with the project will be public and the data files will be controlled. Other registered users can apply for access to controlled data at CNGB data access. Data applicants must use the data after the data submitter have reviewed and approved, and the access or data files will be granted to the data applicant by the data submitter.

How to contact us?

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact datasubs@cngb.org.

Address：China National GeneBank, Jinsha Road, Dapeng District, Shenzhen, China

Tel：0755-36307296

QQ group：894343659

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