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Submission FAQs

This page answers common questions about submitting summary statistics and related metadata to the GWAS Catalog. If your question is not covered here, contact the submission helpdesk at gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk.

A. Submission status and publication​

B. Submission support and errors​

When will my data be visible on the GWAS Catalog website?​

The timing depends on the type of submission:

  • For data submitted after journal publication, a curator will review the submission and make the summary statistics publicly available as soon as possible.
  • For unpublished data or data linked to a preprint, summary statistics are available on the FTP server within 48 hours, or after the requested embargo period ends.

The website data release runs every two weeks, so it may take a few days for a submitted study to appear on the website. Non-embargoed data is added to the summary statistics download area. Embargoed data is not listed in the public Catalog. If more than two weeks have passed and your non-embargoed study is still not visible, contact the submission helpdesk.

How can I show a journal that my data have been submitted and are publicly accessible?​

Provide the GCST accession number(s) for the relevant study or studies, together with the GWAS Catalog FTP server. Once the data have been submitted and any embargo has been lifted, the summary statistics should be available on the FTP server within 48 hours. The study will then appear in the GWAS Catalog after the next fortnightly data release as a prepublished entry.

The entry will be updated to a published entry after we identify the PubMed ID through our weekly literature search and the next fortnightly data release has taken place. To help us avoid missing the publication, authors can send the PubMed ID and submission ID to gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk. Any embargo will automatically be removed once a PubMed ID is linked.

I made a submission but cannot find the entry on the website. What should I do?​

Find the GCST accession number on your submission page, then search for that accession on the GWAS Catalog homepage. The GCP submission ID is not the identifier used to find a study on the website.

If the study is linked to a published paper, it may still be waiting for curator review or the next website release. If you still cannot find it after two weeks, contact gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk and include the relevant accession or submission ID.

I submitted my data under embargo but want to make it public sooner. How can I do this?​

Contact gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk with your submission ID or GCP ID and ask the team to remove the embargo.

My preprint has been published in a journal. How can I update the citation in the GWAS Catalog?​

The GWAS Catalog checks the literature weekly and will update the metadata when it identifies the published paper. To help us update the record sooner, contact gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk with the PubMed ID of the journal article and the relevant submission or study accession.

How can I change the title, authors or abstract on my submission?​

It is not possible to edit this information manually. Once a journal publication is attached to the submission, the title, authors and abstract will be updated automatically. Upon journal publication, let us know the PubMed ID at gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk so we can attach it to the submission.

Can I place an embargo on data for a published study?​

Data cannot be embargoed after journal publication. Embargoes are intended for unpublished data or data linked to a preprint.

My study does not meet the eligibility criteria. Can I still submit it?​

The study must meet the GWAS Catalog eligibility criteria before summary statistics can be released. If you believe the criteria have been applied incorrectly, or that an eligible publication is missing from the submission system, contact gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk so the team can review it.

How should I cite the submission in my manuscript?​

Use the GCST accession number for each study in the manuscript. Accession IDs can be found using the button at the top right of your submission page. Do not cite the GCP submission ID because it is not searchable on the GWAS Catalog website. Where applicable, also cite the original publication linked to the study and follow the citation style required by your journal.

I received the error: Account not linked to Globus, what does this mean?​

The email address entered in the submission form must belong to the account used to sign in to Globus. This may not be the same account used to sign in to the GWAS Catalog submission system.

Check the email identities linked to your Globus account in Globus settings, then enter the matching address in the submission form.

I received the error: Could not read file (corrupt), what does this mean?​

This error means that the validation pipeline could not read the uploaded file. Check that the file opens normally, follows the summary statistics file requirements, and passes the GWAS Catalog validation tools before uploading it again. If the error continues, contact gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk and include the submission ID, file name and validation error.

How do I add another study to a completed (closed) submission?​

Contact gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk. The team will review the request and advise whether the study can be added.

How do I edit or replace already submitted summary statistics?​

Contact gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk. The team will help you with the appropriate update or replacement process. It’s not possible to edit completed submissions in the submission system.

Can I submit summary statistics that do not meet the validation criteria?​

Contact gwas-subs@ebi.ac.uk so the team can discuss the available options.

I have concerns about licensing, how can I find out more?​

Read the GWAS Catalog FAQ, including the section on dataset licensing, first. If you still have questions or concerns, contact gwas-info@ebi.ac.uk to discuss them.