Contribute Data

The Ecological Stoichiometry Cooperative aims to encourage community member contributions to STOICH. With each contribution, the breadth of this database will increase, as well as its value to those who use it.

Thank you for your interest in the STOICH project. Below you will find information on data contribution requirements and guidelines.

What data will be included in STOICH?

Data Contribution Requirements

STOICH is an open-access, aquatic, organismal stoichiometry database.

For more details on our data prioritization and data requirements for inclusion in STOICH, please see the following information: Data Inclusion Requirements

  • Organismal or primarily organismal stoichiometry data containing at least two of the three following elements:
    • Carbon
    • Phosphorous
    • Nitrogen
  • Aquatic (inland)
  • Field-based (non-experimental)

How do I contribute my data to STOICH?

Data Contribution Guidelines

  1. Identify whether you have data that meets the data requirements listed above. These requirements can also be found on the Data Inclusion Requirements page of the STOICH informational website.
  2. Access the STOICH database informational website.
  3. Download and fill in the STOICH data template with your dataset. Please do no attempt to manipulate column headings, as these will be the link between your template and the database.
    • For detailed instructions please see the Data Entry Guide and FAQs page located on the STOICH database informational website.
    • You may also choose to send us your raw data. Please remember to include any and all metadata that will help our team transfer your data to our template.
  4. Email stoich.project.contact@gmail.com.
    • Attach the data template or your raw data as a .csv or .xlsx file.

STOICH Data Template

To ensure quality data for STOICH database users, the ESC is requesting specific metadata from data contributions. The following metadata is required for data contributions:

  • Data enterer’s name
  • Data entry date
  • Site name
  • Data collection date
  • At least two of the three following, with their associated units
    • Carbon content (of an organism/organic material)
    • Phosphorus content (of an organism/organic material)
    • Nitrogen content (of an organism/organic material)
  • The type of organism or organic material that was sampled for C, N and/or P.

Tentative Contribution Timeline

July 1, 2023: Deadline for dataset contributions if the author wants to be considered for co-authorship on the STOICH Database manuscript.

August 1, 2023: Beta version of the STOICH database will be released and accessible to STOICH Beta Users (learn more about becoming a STOICH Beta User).

February 1, 2024: Deadline for dataset contributions to be included in the final draft manuscript.

March 1, 2024: End of beta user phase

One of the goals of the STOICH project is to identify data gaps and database user needs.

Please contact us if you have specific data needs, or if you would like to contribute your data to the STOICH project

Contact Us

STOICH Licensing

The STOICH database is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License