Information for Data Providers

The purpose of this portal is to provide an interface for helpful documents and answers to frequently asked questions regarding submitting data to the PDS.

PDS4 enables providers more flexibility for data submission while keeping standardized structures for users to find and use the data.

PDS allows only a limited set of formats for all files and documents in an archive. These formats are summarized in our policy.

Useful Documents for Data Preparation

PDS4 has modernized the approach to archiving data within the PDS. Labels for PDS products are expressed as XML documents that are tied to a centralized, self-consistent model providing uniformity across the PDS.

Useful starting references for new datasets to be submitted to PDS include:

Concepts Document (PDF) Introduction to PDS4 key concepts and basic structures.
Data Provider's Handbook (PDF) A cookbook guide with step-by-step instructions for developing an archive.
Standards Reference (PDF) The first of two key reference documents for PDS4 to be used in preparing your archive.
PDF/A Guidelines (PDF) Best practices for authoring documents for PDF/A generation, as well as how to create, convert, and validate PDF/A documents prior to submission to the PDS.
Examples A set of products, collections, bundles, and packages that illustrates design concepts and goals. (Frequently referenced by the Data Provider's Handbook)

Checklist for Submitting Data Under PDS4