DataCrate: a method of packaging, distributing, displaying and archiving Research Objects

In characterizing the term Research Object the call for proposals for Research Object 2018 uses the phrase "multi-part research outcomes with their context". The DataCrate specification1 is a research data packaging and dissemination specification designed to capture exactly that; outcomes (also inputs) and context. DataCrate specifies how to gather together data in such a way that it can (a) be packaged via zip, tar, a disc image, a multi-part package or (b) be hosted on a web server or file share for inspection by potential users and/or used directly on High Performance Computing systems or otherwise accessed and analyzed. DataCrates can contain any kind of data, and the contextual information may include, but is not limited to, data about the people, software and equipment used in the research as well as supporting documents such as publications, funding agreements or README files.