Do not leave required metadata fields blank. If a value is absent, report why it is absent using a repository-approved missing-value term.
Repository-specific rules take priority. For INSDC submissions, use INSDC-accepted missing-value reporting terms where applicable.
| Phrase | Reason for use | When does it apply | INSDC token | DataCite code | ISO/GML (nilReason) | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| not applicable; not relevant |
Field is outside the scope of the experiment | Depth for human stool sample | not applicable for a control missing: control sample |
:unap | inapplicable | Information is inappropriate to report; sometimes shows a gap in the standard itself. |
| not available | Value exists somewhere, but you cannot obtain it | Host BMI missing from a 1990 gut study | Top level: missing or: missing: third party data |
:unav | missing | Information of an expected format was not given because it is unavailable or unretrievable, with no expectation of later supply. |
| not recorded | Measurement was never captured | Ambient temperature not recorded during environmental swabbing | missing: not collected missing: lab stock |
:unav | missing | Information was expected but never collected at source. |
| not provided | Value exists but is under embargo / pending | Exact collection date withheld until publication of the clinical trial | not provided | :tba | template or other:pending |
Information of an expected format was not given now, but will be supplied later. |
| restricted access | Value exists but must remain confidential | Coordinates of endangered species or patient postcode that could be used to identify individual | restricted access | :unal or :unac if the restriction is temporary |
withheld | Information exists but cannot be released openly because of privacy, conservation or legal constraints. |
Sources:
INSDC Missing Value Reporting Terms;
DataCite - Appendix 3: Standard values for unknown information;
ISO 19115-3
Use the most specific explanation available. not collected and restricted access mean different things and should not be collapsed into a generic NA.