Open access collections are accessible to everyone:

1. Find an Open access collection of interest either by means of a DOI or by browsing the RDR. If you have questions concerning the collection, you can find contact information in the Metadata tab of the collection.
2. Once you have found an Open access collection of interest, you can view and/or download the content off that collection.

Open access for registerd users collections have a Data Use Agreement (DUA) that you must accept before you can access the data. In order to access those collections, follow these steps:

1. Find a collection of interest either by means of a DOI or by browsing the RDR. If you have questions concerning the collection, you can find contact information in the Metadata tab of the collection. Do not contact this person to request access to the collection, but continue with the next steps.
2. Log in to the RDR. If you use your ORCID account to log in, you must allow 'trusted parties' (at least) to be able to see your email address and name (see email and name settings on the webpage https://orcid.org/). For more help with logging in and/or configuring your ORCID account settings, see our helppage how to log in.
3. Click on the Request access button on the top left of your screen.
4. A new screen prompts the Data Use Agreement (DUA). Read it carefully, tick the box at the end of the page if you agree and click on the blue Get access bar. Note that if you are prompted with a pop-up screen requesting you to motivate your access request, you are trying to get access to a Restricted access collection and need to follow the steps described under Access to a Restricted access collection.
5. You have now been added as a viewer of this collection and can view and/or download the content. Be aware that the manager of the collection can see that you have been added as a viewer to their collection.

These collections require explicit approval of an access request by the collection manager. To request access to Restricted access collections, follow these steps:

1. Find a collection of interest either by means of a DOI or by browsing the RDR. Carefully check the collection's metadata to make sure that the collection is useful for your research. We recommend that you read the “Data Use Agreement” (in the Metadata tab) to learn about the conditions and restrictions that apply to using the data. If you have questions concerning the collection, you can find contact information in the Metadata tab of the collection. Do not contact this person to request access to the collection, but continue with the next steps.
2. Prepare your access request. Later in this workflow you will be asked to fill in an access request form and provide information about you, your research project and the intended use of the data. Make sure you know the organisation and position within that organisation for each person who wants to gain access to the data. Prepare to provide information on the project type, project partners, project title and project description (including background, research question, planned methods, relevance of requested data, and intended deliverables).
3. Log in to the RDR. If you use your ORCID account to log in, you must allow 'trusted parties' (at least) to be able to see your email address and name (see email and name settings on the webpage https://orcid.org/). For more help with logging in and/or configuring your ORCID account settings, see our helppage how to log in.
4. Click on the Request access button on the top left of your screen.
5. A pop-up screen displays the access request form. Provide relevant information so that the collection manager can evaluate your access request. Next, click Submit request.
6. The RDR forwards your access request to the collection manager (with you in cc). Depending on the DUA, they might contact you to discuss the request, ask for additional information and/or fill in the Data Use Agreement (DUA) if your request is approved. Only after the DUA has been signed by an authorised person of both parties, the collection manager can grant access.
7. You will receive an email as soon as you have been added as a viewer to the collection and can view and/or download the content.

For reviewers or editors of a manuscript who need access to a collection that is stored but not yet published in the RDR.

Reviewers can follow these steps to access the data in a collection:

1. Click on the URL that was given to you by the collection manager. If you did not receive a URL, please contact the researcher in question and ask them to make a Reviewer access URL as described in our manual on publishing a DSC.
2. You will be directed to the relevant collection in the RDR. Here, you will be asked to read and sign a reviewer data access note. Once you have signed, you will be added as a viewer of the collection. You will remain anonymous: the collection manager cannot determine who you are, even after you have been added as a viewer to the collection. Furthermore, all managers, contributors, viewers and authors of the collection also remain anonymous to you.
3. You can now view and/or download the content off the collection.