A data and analysis catalogue template for life science data

Think of a data catalogue as an inventory of the data associated with your project. It provides a shared place for the team to see what datasets exist, where they are stored, where they came from, and other information needed to understand or reuse them. Each row in the catalogue represents one dataset. A dataset does not have to be a single file. For example, all the FASTQ files generated by one sequencing experiment could be recorded as a single dataset. An analysis catalogue does the same for analyses, keeping a structured record of the analyses that have been carried out on the data. The catalogues act as a map to your project's data and analyses. Instead of searching through folders and filenames in storage or an archive, you can start with the catalogue to find the dataset you need and its location. A template is provided, together with completed examples and guidance explaining what should be recorded in each column.