Feature Request: Generate a Croissant metadata file (or any export format) before a dataset is published #11305
Description
Overview of the Feature Request
Allow a depositor to download (via UI or API) the Croissant metadata file (or any metadata format) before the dataset is published. This is particularly important for datasets shared via Preview URL.
What kind of user is the feature intended for?
(Example users roles: API User, Curator, Depositor, Guest, Superuser, Sysadmin)
API User, Depositor, Guest (someone accessing a Dataset via Preview URL)
What inspired the request?
I'm a resource co-chair for NeurIPS Datasets & Benchmarks track in 2025 and we are evaluating recommending Dataverse as a recommended repository to authors as part of a new requirement that authors generate and make accessible Croissant metadata representations of their datasets in order to automate that submissions are valid and to streamline the review process.
We expect that many authors of NeurIPS D&B track papers would choose to deposit their data via Harvard Dataverse because it offers a Preview URL feature, but it's a major limitation that a Croissant file is not generated. Authors will still need to manually generate them.
Additionally, Kaggle is another repository that offers both Preview URLs and is adding the ability to download a Croissant file for such datasets.
Even if the feature isn't added for this year's CFPs, it will likely be useful for next year.
What existing behavior do you want changed?
Allow download of Croissant metadata and data files for un-published Harvard Dataverse datasets.
Any brand new behavior do you want to add to Dataverse?
NA
Any open or closed issues related to this feature request?
After speaking with the team, I don't believe there are any.
Are you thinking about creating a pull request for this feature?
Help is always welcome, is this feature something you or your organization plan to implement?
No.
