FAQs

A — E-Link is a corporate Department of Energy (DOE) system through which scientific and technical information (STI) sponsored by DOE may be submitted and/or announced electronically to DOE's central coordinating office, the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) for subsequent announcement, availability, and preservation. In addition to online submission capability, E-Link provides for Departmental electronic review of deliverables from Financial Assistance Awardees and provides DOE and DOE contractors with search and STI management reporting capabilities.

A — DOE produces STI (scientific and technical information) in the course of performing research and development (R&D) and other science and technology activities and endeavors. STI includes findings, technological innovations, and/or results of demonstration and commercial application activities as well as experiments, observations, simulations, studies, and analyses. Scientific findings are communicated in various media, e.g., textual, audiovisual, multimedia, and digital; and are produced in a range of STI products including technical reports, scientific/technical conference papers and presentations, journal articles, theses and dissertations, scientific and publicly available scientific research datasets, etc. The majority of DOE's STI is unclassified with no access restrictions, but STI may be classified, or controlled unclassified information (CUI). DOE Order 241.1C, Scientific and Technical Information Management, provides additional information.

A — E-Link is used by authorized DOE and DOE contractor staff across the Department for the submission and/or review of STI. Various management reports are available to DOE sites and offices to assist in overseeing their STI process, and sites/offices have access only to their site(s)-designated STI. Financial Assistance Awardees also utilize E-Link for submission of deliverables and final reports in accordance with the terms of their award. DOE awarding offices and programs are automatically notified when a grantee submits STI via E-Link in order to facilitate the review and completion of the submission process.

To utilize E-Link's API, an API token is required. The Web Form does not require a token for use.

A — All E-Link users must have a username and password to create, edit, review, or release records that have been submitted. To obtain these you must Register for E-Link Account. You must also meet all System Requirements. Some accounts may require approval from a site contact, so accounts are not instantly approved. If an invalid username or password is entered, you will receive the message "Logon Failed. Please try again."

A —

• Form Roles:
  • International: Add/Edit International Records.
  • Grantee: Add/Edit records as a grantee. "Lab Users" or "Admin Users" with this permission will be given the option to create a record as a grantee. New records by "Grantee Users" will just be grantee records by default.
  • Enhancement User: Able to perform all necessary Enhancement-related functions, including "Enhancing" records and viewing any enhancement-related reports.
  • View All: View all records for all sites.
  • Edit All: Edit and View all records for all sites.
  • Release All: View, Edit, and Release all records for all sites.
• Admin Roles:
  • User Admin: Approve/deny new users, search for users, and change user permissions on the User Admin page.
  • OSTI User: User that works inside of OSTI and is allowed to access various functions and features in E-Link 2.0 and E-Link Admin.

A — Possible difficulties are that the system is temporarily down, there is a difficulty with network communications, or there is a technical difficulty. Please report difficulties with logging on to E-Link to OSTI at elink_Helpdesk@osti.gov. To assist in resolving the problem, copy the error message and include it in an e-mail to the Helpdesk.

A — After submission, STI products are managed in accordance with the site-designated distribution limitation to enable appropriate access to Departmental research. The majority of DOE's STI is unlimited access. STI products which have no distribution limitations, or have protection periods that have expired, are available on web-based search tools which provide free access to full-text and/or metadata records. Key among these products is OSTI.GOV, the primary search tool for finding publicly available DOE-sponsored research. Subsequently, through OSTI partnerships, DOE's STI is available on Science.gov, a gateway to government science information and research results.

For STI products which are designated as controlled unclassified information (CUI), OSTI manages the product in accordance the site-designated distribution limitation and ensures appropriate protections are in place for statutorily controlled STI. For additional information, DOE and DOE contractors may contact elink_Helpdesk@osti.gov.

A — In the "Organizations" field.

A — Released—the record has been released by a Releasing Official. The record is now going through quality control and assurance of requirements. The record is not yet available on any of OSTI's output products.

Complete—the record has successfully finished being reviewed and was accepted. It is now available on OSTI's output products, unless protected.

A — Submission Rules Page

A — E-Link 2 API uses HTTP Header-based "Bearer" tokens, passed with each request in the form of the HTTP Header "Authorization" as Bearer api-key-value.

Elink 2 API Authentication

• UNIX/Windows using curl command-line utility.
  $ curl -H "Authorization: Bearer MYTOKENHERE"
https://www.osti.gov/elink2api/records
• Python via requests library.
  import requests

result = requests.get("https://www.osti.gov/elink2api/records",
    headers = { "Authorization" : "Bearer MYTOKENHERE"})

A — OSTI has a Python Library located here: https://pypi.org/project/elinkapi/

A — Method: reserve_doi(record)
Returns: Record
Params:

• record - Record: Metadata record that you wish to save to E-Link 2.0

A — Yes, ORCID iDs for authors/creators can be included in the metadata of any STI record submitted to E-Link. It is expected that DOE federal and contractor employees and financial assistance awardees conducting R&D provide a PID for themselves (i.e., their ORCID iD) when reporting STI to OSTI. For more information, visit the DOE PID Policies page on PIDs@OSTI.GOV.

A — A digital object identifier (DOI) is a digital persistent identifier assigned to an object — whether physical, digital, or abstract. DOIs resolve to a landing page/URL that includes information describing the object. A PID is a digital identifier that is globally unique, persistent, machine resolvable, has an associated metadata schema, identifies an entity (e.g. a person/researcher, publication, award, organization, or research output), and is frequently used to disambiguate between entities. PIDs are long-lasting, managed, and registered unique digital reference (often in the form of a URL) to an object (e.g., person, organization, research output, award) that can be represented or described online. The identifier is a string of numbers, letters, and/or symbols assigned to the digital object. OSTI accepts DOIs for many types of STI, and OSTI registers DOIs for dataset records, software, technical reports, conference posters and presentations, and awards.

A — When dataset records are submitted to OSTI, a DOI is assigned as part of the STI submission process (unless a DOI has already been assigned by another source and is provided within the dataset metadata). OSTI assigns DOIs to datasets through our DataCite membership. Datasets are a valuable form of STI that often-underly publications or support software projects. The 2023 DOE Public Access Plan requires that data underlying publications be made available at the time of publication, and that timelines should be established for sharing other data produced under DOE funded R&D efforts. The assignment and registration of a DOI for dataset records submitted to OSTI is a free service for DOE researchers that enhances DOE's management of this important resource. For more information, please visit the https://www.osti.gov/pids/doi-services/doe-data-id-service.

A — If you are a DOE Operations/Field Office or Major Site/Facility Management Contractor, you may log on with your username and password, view submitted metadata records and edit specific metadata in a record or replace the full text product with a different version. The steps for editing a previously submitted record are:

• Log on to E-Link
• Using the search functionality of E-Link, retrieve the specific record you wish to change/update.
• Select the "Edit Record" button that appears on the right side of the OSTI ID on the Search Results screen.
• When revising the metadata record, make the desired changes or additions to the metadata, then select "Save" to return to the record later or "Submit" to complete the edits and resubmit the record with the updated metadata. Note that:
  • Only users with releasing official authority can submit/release a record.
  • When revising the full text product, select the "Upload" button at the top of the screen. This will take you to the "Upload Full Text" section. Then, upload a new full text document by clicking "Choose File" and uploading the file.
  • When revising the landing page URL for dataset records, please scroll down to the "Dataset Landing Page" field and enter the new publicly facing landing page URL. If the landing page URL is not publicly accessible, the submission will not be processed, and the DOI will not be registered or updated until the URL is public.

If you are a Financial Assistance Awardee, you may log on with your username and password, view submitted metadata records and edit specific metadata in a record or replace the full text product with a different version. The steps for editing a previously submitted record are:

• Log on to E-Link
• Upon logging in, you will see the list of your previous submissions.
• Select the "Edit Record" button that appears on the right side of the OSTI ID that you want to edit.
• When revising the metadata record, make the desired changes or additions to the metadata, then select "Save" to return to the record later or "Submit" to complete the edits and resubmit the record with the updated metadata. Note that:
  • Upon submission, the record will be sent to your Releasing Official at the HQ program responsible for your award, and they will review and eventually release the record with the new information that you provided.
  • When revising the full text product, select the "Upload" button at the top of the screen. This will take you to the "Upload Full Text" section. Then, upload a new full text document by clicking "Choose File" and uploading the file.
  • When revising the landing page URL for dataset records, please scroll down to the "Dataset Landing Page" field and enter the new publicly facing landing page URL. If the landing page URL is not publicly accessible, the submission will not be processed, and the DOI will not be registered or updated until the URL is public.

A — Status definitions shown below:

• SA — Saved — The record's metadata has been saved but will require further information before it can continue processing. The record will not be released, or updated externally, until all required fields have been populated and it completes processing.
• SR — Submitted for review/release — The record has been submitted to the Releasing Official for review and release.
• SO — Submitted to OSTI, awaiting validation — This is a temporary status that should only last a few seconds. No changes are required unless it is stuck for many minutes.
• SV — Submitted to OSTI, fully validated — A record will pause in this state until all business rules regarding bibliographic metadata and media are satisfied.
• SF — Submitted to OSTI, failed validation — This status means the bibliographic metadata has failed validation and must be corrected before the record can continue to process.
• SX — Submitted to OSTI, fail to release — This status means the record category calculation and the sensitivity flag calculations failed. The record cannot continue to process until these failures have been corrected.
• R — Fully released — This status means the record has successfully completed processing.

A — PII is any information about an individual which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity. Some information that is considered to be PII is available in public sources such as telephone books, public websites, university listings, etc. This type of information is considered to be Public PII and includes, for example, first and last name, address, work telephone number, email address, home telephone number, and general educational credentials. In contrast, Protected PII is defined as an individual's first name or first initial and last name in combination with any one or more of types of information, including, but not limited to, social security number, passport number, credit card numbers, clearances, bank numbers, biometrics, date and place of birth, mother's maiden name, criminal, medical and financial records, educational transcripts, etc.

A — Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) may be sent via E-Link, which ensures secure transmission by utilizing Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), and is FIPS 140-2 compliant (See: Is data transmission in E-Link secure?) Before uploading to E-Link, CUI documents should be marked according to DOE O 471.7, Controlled Unclassified Information, including the appropriate CUI category (What Category and Markings are applicable within DOE). CUI should also be indicated in the distribution limitation section on the accompanying Announcement Notice. The Other Information field of this section should be used to enter basic or specified categories along with any limited dissemination controls. If the metadata describes either Unclassified Controlled Nuclear Information (UCNI) or classified data, it must NOT be transmitted over open systems networks. It must be sent by approved mail or electronic means. Contact OSTI for further information.

¹This includes all DOE CUI, including legacy Official Use Only (OUO) information (i.e. limited distribution information other than UCNI or classified).

To generate an API Token:

• Either generate one by clicking the “Generate API Token” link on the homepage.
• Or click the link in the top right corner to go to the account information page.
• Once on the account information page, you will click the “Generate API Token” button.

• API tokens cannot be recovered if lost.
• If token is lost, a new one must be generated.

A — After submission, STI products are managed in accordance with the site-designated distribution limitation to enable appropriate access to Departmental research. The majority of DOE's STI is unlimited access. STI products which have no distribution limitations, or have protection periods that have expired, are available on web-based search tools which provide free access to full-text and/or metadata records. Key among these products is OSTI.GOV, the primary search tool for finding publicly available DOE-sponsored research. Subsequently, through OSTI partnerships, DOE's STI is available on Science.gov, a gateway to government science information and research results. For STI products which are designated as controlled unclassified information (CUI), OSTI manages the product in accordance the site-designated distribution limitation and ensures appropriate protections are in place for statutorily controlled STI. For additional information, DOE and DOE contractors may contact elink_Helpdesk@osti.gov.

A — In the API, the dataset landing page URL goes in site_url when performing a POST to the metadata API endpoint. Unlike full text documents, it is not submitted through the media API endpoint.

In the UI, the dataset landing page URL goes in the Dataset Landing Page field.

A — While E-Link provides for submission of STI products, it is important to note that E-Link is also an important STI management tool for sites, programs, Field Offices, and heads of contracting activities. To assist these entities, various reporting capabilities are available. Other standard status and reconciliation reports are available at REPORTS. In addition, users may utilize E-Link SEARCH capabilities for additional, tailored reporting. NOTE: Search results may be downloaded into Excel to enhance use and review.

A — Product types denote the ways in which scientific and technical information is produced and communicated. Currently, E-Link product types include the following: books/monographs, conference papers/presentations/proceedings, journal articles and accepted manuscripts, patents, program documents and workshop reports, technical reports, theses/dissertations, scientific factsheets, SBIR/STTR Final Technical Reports, and publicly available scientific research datasets. E-Link will be updated as new forms of STI emerge. For additional information on submission of various STI product types or address questions to elink_Helpdesk@osti.gov.

A — PDF and MS Word or PowerPoint, or Open/Libre Office equivalent file types.

• PDF
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Open Document Text
• Open Document Presentation

A — Currently, E-Link 2.0 does not impose a specific file limit. This section will be updated should any limit be identified.

A — Organizations and individuals who have developed and/or modified software during work supported by DOE or during work carried out for others at DOE facilities are required to announce the software with the appropriate announcement record to DOE CODE, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) software services platform and search tool for software resulting from DOE-funded research (per DOE O 241.1C), if the software:

• meets the definition of STI, which consists of findings resulting from research and development (R&D) efforts and science and technology work of scientists, researchers, and engineers, and
• is known or expected to be useful inside or outside the DOE community, or is not specific to the originating site; and
• is a stable, usable, and documented version (i.e., the software is not under initial development) and has undergone all appropriate reviews for sensitivity and export control.

• Operational systems software that is site-specific, unique to a particular hardware, or necessary to ensure the fundamental operability of automated data processing equipment, whether supplied by the manufacturer of the system hardware or others;
  • Computer software programs developed and/or modified during work carried out for others at DOE facilities that are specifically excluded in the agreement under which the non-DOE funded work was performed.
  • Software generated under the auspices of the Energy Information Administration.
  • Specific software used by power administrations for the operation, control, planning, and modeling of electric power transmission systems and the interconnected utilities. However, modifications/enhancements to portions of this software that are not an integral part of the whole and have potential application outside the power administrations should be announced.

Refer to the DOE CODE's Software Policy page for more information.

A — You can extend the data protection by 4 years from the time your technical report was submitted when the following conditions are met: 1) Your report was submitted with data protections and has not been released publicly on OSTI.GOV, 2) the terms and conditions of the award requiring the technical report includes a data rights clause allowing data rights to be extended (these rights were typically included for projects and awards issued prior to May 1, 2019, and 3) R&D was performed since the time you submitted your technical report to OSTI (which is why an extension is needed). Once you have verified this information, please send an email to OSTI at SBIR-STTR@osti.gov with the award number and OSTI ID for the report and note that you've reviewed this FAQ and have met the conditions for an extension of your data rights. OSTI will reply with certification statements for you to complete attesting to this information. Once your information is verified, the data protection period will be extended from the time any continued R&D under the award was completed (not to exceed the date of your request/email). For example, if you submitted your Phase I SBIR or STTR report on 1/1/2018, and R&D continued to be performed through 1/1/2022, then your report will be extended by 4 years from 1/1/2022 with a new release date of 1/1/2026.

A — The E-Link 2.0 input form includes a "draft" feature designed to assist users in recovering record data in the event of a power outage or accidental closure of the browser. Every two minutes while utilizing the form, a snapshot of the record is automatically saved. Should you navigate away from the form, close your browser, or experience a power loss, you will have the ability to return to the form and reload your record metadata as it was at the time of the last draft. If a draft of your record exists, it will be automatically loaded when entering the form. Please note that when you save or submit your record, any existing draft for that record will be deleted.

Note: The draft feature does not save full text. If you need to return to the form and load a draft, please ensure that you re-attach the full text that was not previously saved.

A — E-Link uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), a combination of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol with the SSL/TLS protocol, to provide encrypted communication and secure identification for E-Link data transmissions. OSTI utilizes OpenSSL, which is FIPS 140-2 compliant, to implement HTTPS.

A — While there are no specific requirements for your computer to utilize E-Link, it is advisable to have the latest version of one of the major web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Safari (for Apple users).

A — JavaScript is required to enable user capabilities.

Note: The method for enabling Cookies and JavaScript are browser and version specific. Check your browser's online Help or contact your system administrator for assistance.

A — Yes, you must select Accept All Cookies. Please see our security notice for further information.

A — Crystal Sherline, E-Link Product Manager, elink_Helpdesk@osti.gov