Metax stores the metadata of published research datasets visible in the Fairdata Etsin and the Research.fi portal. It serves as a metadata repository supporting other Fairdata services, but it also allows users to input and retrieve dataset metadata via the METAX REST API, instead of using the graphical Qvain tool and Etsin service for this purpose. Metadata can be entered and retrieved either by an individual End User or through an automated integration between an organization’s own metadata repository and Metax.
Launching the new API version (V3) for End Users
The new API version was already launched for Organizational use in May 2024.
- To read the earlier news article about the launch click here
Now the new API version has also been launched for End Users.
How will this launch affect the End Users:
If you are only using Qvain to describe and publish your datasets, and Metax API is unfamiliar to you, then this launch does not have any affect to you.
When describing and publishing the datasets (and updating) them with Metax API, there are some small restrictions for the API versions to be used. The basic rule is that you can use V3 for all datasets, but once you use V3, you should not go back to older version (V1/V2). Qvain is using V3 and any dataset crated or updated with Qvain can only be updated with V3.
In summary, if you are using:
- only Qvain to describe and publish (create and update) your datasets: NO AFFECT
- only Metax API to describe and publish (create and update) your datasets: NO AFFECT
- You can freely choose whether to use V1/V2 or V3
- NOTE! Once you have used V3 to create/update the dataset, you can only use V3 for that dataset
- Metax API to create datasets and then only Qvain to update them: NO AFFECT
- You can freely choose whether to use V1/V2 or V3
- Metax API to create dataset and then Qvain and Metax API to update it
- After updating the dataset in Qvain, you can only use API V3 or Qvain to update it
- Qvain to crate datasets and then Metax API to update it:
- You have to use new version V3 to update the dataset
For fetching datasets from Metax you can freely choose whether to use V1/V2 or V3. All datasets (regardless of the Metax API version used to create/update them) can be found with all versions of the API.
Metax dokumentaatio: https://metax.fairdata.fi/v3/docs/
