About our Datasets

The Geographic Data Service (GeoDS) obtains, creates, maintains and supplies datasets and research platforms to a wide range of users who wish to conduct research using smart data. Our key audience is UK academic researchers and students, however we aim to deliver data for bona-fide research purposes where our agreements allow.

Please see our main about page to learn about the Geographic Data Service, its context and focus.

Dataset Categories

We provide data with six different levels of access:

Open

Data which are freely available to all for any purpose following a simple registration. Products include those created and acquired by the GeoDS and products where the GeoDS have added value.

Safeguarded

Data to which access is restricted because of license conditions, but where data are not considered ‘personally-identifiable’ or otherwise sensitive. Data is delivered to successful applicants on a time-limited basis following registration, project approval requirements, training and signing of a user agreement legal document. To apply please look at each individual dataset and following the "Request Data" link there. The complete process, from initial application to final data delivery, typically takes 1-2 months.

Safeguarded Fasttracked

For some Safeguarded datasets, we have a minimal review process, simplified application form, and replace the user agreement with a simple approved project notification. We aim to deliver these within 1-2 weeks of initial application.

Secure

Controlled data: data which need to be held under the most secure conditions with highly restricted access. Access is available via secure services at GeoDS sites or virtually through a web browser, with registration and project approval requirements, training and signing of a user agreement legal document. To apply please look at each individual dataset and following the "Request Data" link there. The complete process, from initial application to final data delivery, typically takes 2-3 months.

Internal Use

These cannot now be accessed by external researchers through the service, however these are retained for internal GeoDS research and data product creation.

Tutorials

We also host a number of online tutorials, these typically use our Open data.

Removed datasets

Many of the datasets that we resupply from data suppliers (as opposed to those we have created or derived ourselves) come with a time-limited upstream data licence agreement which means we are no longer able to supply them on the GeoDS Data Service once the agreements expire, and normally are required to delete all copies we hold ourselves. To facilitate academic understanding and service historic references to the data, we retain some information about these datasets.