Lanka Marine

SOFDC is a data platform for searching, sharing, and managing ocean and fisheries data related to Sri Lanka. Users can search for the data they need and download it, or register their own datasets to share with others.

1. Click the Sign Up button in the top-right corner of the main page.
2. Enter the required information.
3. Once registration is complete, log in to your account.

Some features are available without logging in:

• Data search
• Viewing dataset information
• Downloading internationally open (public domain) data

However, the following features require you to be logged in:

• Previewing and downloading general (non-public-domain) data
• Registering datasets
• Creating a DMP

1. Click the "Forgot Password" link on the login page.
2. Enter the email address associated with your account.
3. Click the link in the email you receive to reset your password.

1. Type your search query into the search bar on the main page.
2. Press the Enter key.
3. Search results will appear.
   • If data is found: the search results page is displayed.
   • If no data is found: a "No Results Found" page is displayed.

1. In the top navigation menu, click NAV → Data.
2. You will be taken to the full dataset list page.
3. Enter a keyword in the on-page search bar or use the Filter options.
4. Click on the desired dataset to go to its detail page.

1. Navigate to the dataset detail page.
2. Click the Preview button next to a resource in the resource list.
3. A resource preview will open in a pop-up or a new tab.

1. Navigate to the dataset detail page.
2. Click the Download button next to a resource in the resource list.
3. The file will begin downloading.

1. Go to the metadata section on the left side of the dataset detail page.
2. Click the SAVE button at the bottom.
3. The metadata file will be downloaded.

If the search returns no results:

1. Double-check your search term (spelling, spacing).
2. Try searching with different keywords.
3. You can register the data you need yourself → Register a Dataset

You can access it from two places:

• The Add Dataset button on the Data page
• The Add Dataset button on the My Account page

On the Add Dataset page, complete the following sections (1–4):

1. Basic information (title, description, etc.)
2. Metadata
3. Custom fields (Key, Value)
4. Resource upload or URL link

You have two options:

• You will be redirected to the Datasets page in My Account.
• The dataset will be displayed with a Pending Approval status.

A dataset can have one of four statuses:

1. Go to My Account → Datasets.
2. Locate the rejected dataset and click "Reason for Rejection" or the dataset title.
3. Review the rejection reason.
4. Click the Edit button.
5. You will be taken to the dataset edit page (existing content will be pre-filled).
6. Make the necessary corrections based on the rejection reason.
7. Click Request Approval to resubmit.

Yes, you can.

1. Go to My Account → Datasets.
2. Locate the dataset with a Pending Approval status.
3. Click the Cancel Request button.
4. Click Confirm in the confirmation pop-up.
5. The dataset status will revert to Draft.
6. A cancellation notification will be sent to the DPO.

Direct editing or deletion is not possible. Once approved, the Edit and Delete buttons are disabled.

1. Send a revision request to the DPO by email.
2. Include in your request:
   • Dataset title and link
   • Reason for the revision
   • Details of the changes needed
3. The DPO will review the request and delete the dataset.
4. Once you receive a deletion confirmation email, re-upload the dataset with the revised content.

1. Send a deletion request to the DPO by email.
2. Include in your request:

• Dataset title and link
• Reason for deletion

3. The DPO will delete the dataset.
4. You will receive a deletion confirmation email.

If the DPO has changed an approved dataset from Public → Private:

1. You will receive an email notification.
2. The email will contain:
   • The reason for the change
   • Information about the Private visibility scope
3. You have two options:

1. Go to My Account → Datasets.
2. Locate the dataset with a Draft status.
3. Click the Edit button.
4. You will be taken to the dataset edit page.
5. Review or update the content as needed.
6. Choose one of two options:
   • My Datasets – Save again as Draft
   • Request Approval – Submit for approval

A DMP (Data Management Plan) is a formal document outlining how data will be collected, managed, and shared throughout a project or research activity.

On the DMP page, click the Create New DMP button.

Enter the following information in the DMP form:

• Project information

• Data to be used

You have two options:

A DMP follows the same four statuses as a dataset:

1. Go to My DMP.
2. Locate the rejected DMP and click "Reason for Rejection" or the DMP title.
3. Review the rejection reason.
4. Click the Edit button.
5. You will be taken to the DMP edit page.
6. Make the necessary corrections based on the rejection reason.
7. Click Request Approval to resubmit.

Direct editing or deletion is not possible. As with datasets, once approved, the Edit and Delete buttons are disabled.

1. Send a request to the DPO by email.
2. Include in your request:
   • DMP title and link
   • Reason for the revision or deletion
3. The DPO will delete the DMP.
4. Once you receive a deletion confirmation email, re-upload the DMP with the revised content.

1. Go to My DMP.
2. Locate the DMP with a Draft status.
3. Click the Edit button.
4. You will be taken to the DMP edit page.

5. Review or update the content as needed.
6. Choose one of two options:
   • My DMP – Save again as Draft
   • Request Approval – Submit for approval

1. While logged in, click your username in the top-right corner.
2. Select My Account from the drop-down menu.
3. You will be taken to the My Account page.

My Account consists of four tabs:

Function: View the status of datasets you have uploaded.

Statuses displayed:

• Approved
• Rejected
• Pending Approval
• Draft

Available actions:

• Click a dataset → navigate to that dataset's page
• Filter by status
• Quick actions (Edit, Delete, Cancel Request, etc.)

Function: View the organizations and groups you belong to.

Available actions:

• View the list of organizations you are a member of
• Click an organization → navigate to the organization's detail page
• View datasets associated with each organization
• Check your role within each organization (Member, Admin, etc.)

Function: View the activity history of datasets you have uploaded.

Information displayed:

• Dataset creation date and time
• Last modification date and time
• Approval / rejection history
• DPO actions (approval, rejection, visibility change to Private)

Available actions:

• Click a log entry → navigate to the relevant dataset's page
• Track activity history

Function: Update your personal information.

Editable information:

• Name
• Email address
• Password
• Profile picture (if applicable)

To join an existing organization:

1. Find the organization you want to join on the Organizations page.
2. Contact the organization administrator directly (by phone, email, or in person) to request membership.

1. Contact the organization administrator directly (by phone, email, or in person) to request that you be removed.

Yes, you can.

1. Click your username in the top-right corner → select User Settings,
   or go to My Account → Profile.
2. Enter your new email address.
3. Click the Save button.
4. A verification email will be sent to your new address (if applicable).

This section is a guide for the DPO (Data Protection Officer), the platform administrator.

1. Log in with your DPO account.
2. Click Dataset-Review in the top menu.
3. You will be taken to the Dataset Review page.

Dataset Management (Dataset Dashboard) — consists of 5 tabs:

• Function: View datasets in all statuses.
• Displayed statuses: Approved, Rejected, Pending Approval, Draft

• Function: View the list of datasets submitted for approval by users.
• Process:
  1. Click Review or the dataset title.
  2. Navigate to the dataset detail page to review the content.
  3. Choose one of two options:
     • Approve – Approve the dataset; its status changes to Approved.
     • Reject – Reject the dataset; a rejection reason is required.
  4. After processing, you are automatically returned to the Pending Approval list.
  5. A result notification email is automatically sent to the user.

• Function: View the list of approved datasets.
• Available actions:
  1. Toggle the Visibility switch (Public / Private).
     • Public: Accessible to all users
     • Private: Accessible only to members of the designated organization
  2. A notification email is automatically sent to the user upon any visibility change.
  3. Click a dataset to view detailed information.

• Function: View the list of rejected datasets.
• Available actions:
  1. Click "Reason for Rejection".
  2. View the rejection reason that was entered.
  3. Use the Edit button to modify the rejection reason.
  4. A result notification email is automatically sent to the user.
  5. The user can revise the dataset and resubmit for approval.

• Function: View the change log for all uploaded datasets.

• Available actions:
  • View the activity log for each dataset
  • Click a dataset to view detailed content
  • Track revision history

Consists of 5 tabs:

• Function: View DMPs in all statuses.

• Function: View the list of DMPs submitted for approval by users.
• Process:
  1. Click Review or the DMP title.
  2. Navigate to the DMP detail page to review the content.
  3. Choose one of two options:
     • Approve – Approve the DMP.
     • Reject – Reject the DMP and enter a rejection reason.
  4. The DMP status is updated accordingly.
  5. After processing, you are automatically returned to the Pending Approval page.

• Function: View the list of approved DMPs.
• Available actions:
  • Click a DMP → View DMP content

• Function: View the list of rejected DMPs.
• Available actions:
  • Click "Reason for Rejection"
  • View and edit the rejection reason
  • Send a notification email to the user

• Function: View the change log for all uploaded DMPs.
• Available actions:
  • View the activity log for each DMP
  • Click a DMP to view detailed content
  • Track revision history

• Required information is missing
• Data quality is insufficient (errors, incomplete data)
• Sensitive information is included (personal data, confidential information)
• An inappropriate or missing license
• The description is unclear or misleading
• Duplicate dataset

Example of a good rejection reason:

Example of a poor rejection reason:

When you receive an email requesting a revision or deletion of an approved dataset or DMP:

1. Review the email:
   • Verify the requester (is this person the dataset/DMP owner?)
   • Identify the type of request (revision or deletion?)
   • Assess the reason for the request (is it justified?)
2. Evaluate the request:

• Determine whether the reason for revision is valid.
• If necessary, request additional information from the user.

3. Make a decision:

• The user uploads a new dataset with the revised content.
• The standard approval workflow applies.

The system automatically sends emails in the following situations:

1. Upon approval (Approved)
   • Subject: "Your dataset has been approved."
   • Content: Dataset link and visibility scope information
2. Upon rejection (Rejected)
   • Subject: "Your dataset has been rejected."

• Content: Rejection reason and guidance on how to revise

3. Upon visibility change to Private
   • Subject: "Your dataset's visibility has been changed."
   • Content: Reason for the change and Private visibility scope information

1. Upon receiving an approval request (Request Approval)
   • Subject: "New Approval Request"
   • Content: Dataset information and link to the Review page
2. Upon cancellation of an approval request (Cancel Request)
   • Subject: "Approval request has been cancelled."
   • Content: Dataset information

• Approval requests trigger notifications to all DPOs.
• The decision made by the first DPO to act on the request is applied.
• Other DPOs will see that the item has been removed from the Pending Approval list once it has been processed.
• Before acting on a request, always check its current status to avoid duplicate processing.

Cause: This may be caused by a browser cookie or cache issue.

Resolution:

1. Clear your browser cache.
2. Ensure that cookies are enabled in your browser settings.
3. Log in again.
4. If the issue persists, try a different browser.

Recommended browsers: Latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, or Edge

Possible causes:

1. File size exceeded
   • Maximum upload size: [size limit to be specified]
   • Resolution: Compress or split the file.
2. Unsupported file format
   • Supported formats: CSV, XLSX, JSON, GeoJSON, Shapefile (ZIP), PDF
   • Resolution: Convert the file to a supported format.
3. Network connectivity issue
   • Resolution: Check your internet connection.
   • Resolution: Try again on a stable network.
4. Browser issue
   • Resolution: Refresh the page.

• Resolution: Try a different browser.

Estimated processing time: Average 1–3 business days

If the delay exceeds 3 business days:

1. Check the status in My Account → Datasets.
2. If still showing "Pending Approval":
   • Contact the DPO by email.
   • Include the dataset title and link in your email.
3. If the status has changed to "Rejected":
   • Review the rejection reason.
   • Make the necessary revisions and resubmit for approval.

If a dataset is not visible in My Account:

1. Verify login status
   • Confirm you are logged in with the correct account.
2. Check the status filter
   • Check all tabs: All, Approved, Pending, Rejected, Draft.
3. Check whether it was deleted
   • Confirm the dataset was not accidentally deleted.
   • Deleted datasets cannot be recovered.

Cause: The dataset has an Approved status.

Resolution:

• Approved datasets cannot be directly edited or deleted.
• Send a revision or deletion request to the DPO by email.
• For details, refer to: Can I edit or delete an approved dataset?

Check the following:

1. Verify your email address
   • In My Account → Profile, confirm that your email address is correct.
2. Check your spam folder
   • Notification emails may have been filtered into your spam folder.
   • Add SOFDC to your safe senders list.
3. Check notification settings (if available)
   • Confirm that email notifications have not been disabled.
4. Allow for delivery delay
   • Email delivery can take up to 5–10 minutes.

Cause: For security purposes, the system automatically logs you out after a period of inactivity.

Resolution:

1. Save your work regularly while working (save as Draft).
2. Refresh the browser tab before starting important tasks.
3. When a session expires, content that was being entered may be preserved by the browser (browser auto-save feature).

Possible causes:

1. Closed / Invite-Only Organization
   • Not all organizations accept membership requests through the platform.
   • Resolution: Contact the organization administrator directly to request an invitation.
2. Organization does not exist
   • The organization may have been deleted or deactivated.

Check the following:

1. Login status
   • You must be logged in to download data (except for internationally open/public-domain data).
   • Resolution: Log in and try again.
2. Private data
   • Private datasets can only be viewed and downloaded by members of the designated organization.
   • Resolution: Request to join the relevant organization.
3. Broken link

• An external link may have expired or been broken.
• Resolution: Contact the dataset contributor ("Contact the Contributor").

4. Large file size
   • Very large files may take a significant amount of time to download.
   • Resolution: Try again on a stable network connection.

Didn't find an answer above?

Contact us through the following channels:

• Email: support@sofdc.org (email address to be updated)
• Contact the Contributor: Contact the dataset contributor directly
• DPO Inquiry: Contact the administrator directly

To help us resolve your issue quickly, please include the following information when contacting us:

• URL of the page where the issue occurred
• Browser type and version you are using
• Screenshot of any error messages
• Steps to reproduce the issue

Last updated: February 2026

Version: 1.0

If you have feedback or suggestions for improving this Help documentation, please contact us at support@sofdc.org.