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Synapse allows researchers to share and describe data, analyses, and other content. Data and analyses can be stored in many types of locations, including private servers, local hard drives, or cloud storage. Synapse provides a common interface to describe these data or analyses, where they come from, and how to use them. Synapse also provides mechanisms for adding and retrieving data, analyses, and their respective descriptions. For a comprehensive introduction to Synapse see our Getting Started guide.

Whether you are looking to access content or use Synapse to track your own work, start by registering for a Synapse user account. Before uploading files, you will need to take a short certification quiz that demonstrates your understanding of the ethical considerations in sharing data and the manner in which data is managed and shared in Synapse. See the Getting Started guide for tips on how to access data, create your own project, and share content with others.

This will depend if the content is public or private. If private, you will need to make sure your colleague has shared this content with you. Shared content is visible from your “Dashboard page” under the tab “Shared directly with me”. If you favorite the content (using the yellow star) it will appear under your list of favorites visible from the top of any Synapse page or on your Profile.

All public data is queryable. For more information see help on querying or from the “Search” box in the top right corner of any Synapse page.

Validating your profile is a process where your identity is established through a combination of your profile information, your ORCID, a signed Synapse Pledge, and an external credential. Validation increases transparency between researchers and data donors. A validated profile is needed for access to specific datasets, and is currently required for access to data collected through Sage Bionetworks’ research apps. Profile validation instructions can be found in the Settings tab of your Synapse profile page. Click on the ‘Request Profile Validation’ link to see the required steps.

Synapse makes it easy to share files of any sort, with whomever you choose whether a small group of collaborators or the general public. You may share raw data, summarized data, analysis results, or anything in between. We recommend using Getting started with Synapse guide for more details on how to upload and manage content.