diff --git a/python/create_dataset/create_dataset.py b/python/create_dataset/create_dataset.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3e2b23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/create_dataset/create_dataset.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import json
+import os
+import sys
+
+from pyDataverse.api import NativeApi
+
+try:
+    base_url=os.environ['BASE_URL']
+    print("Using base URL from $BASE_URL.")
+except:
+    print("You must define a BASE_URL environment variable.")
+    exit(1)
+
+try:
+    api_token=os.environ['API_TOKEN']
+    print("Using API token from $API_TOKEN.")
+except:
+    print("You must define a API_TOKEN environment variable.")
+    exit(1)
+
+try:
+    collection=os.environ['COLLECTION']
+    print("Using collection (dataverse) from $COLLECTION.")
+except:
+    print("You must define a COLLECTION environment variable.")
+    exit(1)
+
+if len(sys.argv) < 2:
+    print("Usage: python create_dataset.py <json_file>")
+    exit(1)
+
+json_file = sys.argv[1]
+with open(json_file, 'r') as f:
+    json_in = json.load(f)
+
+api = NativeApi(base_url, api_token)
+print("Printing version of Dataverse")
+print(api.get_info_version().json())
+
+print("Creating a dataset in collection " + collection)
+resp = api.create_dataset(collection, json_in, publish=False)
+print(resp.json())
diff --git a/python/create_dataset/dataset-finch1.json b/python/create_dataset/dataset-finch1.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..433ea75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/create_dataset/dataset-finch1.json
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+{
+  "datasetVersion": {
+    "license": {
+      "name": "CC0 1.0",
+      "uri": "http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0"
+    },
+    "metadataBlocks": {
+      "citation": {
+        "fields": [
+          {
+            "value": "Darwin's Finches",
+            "typeClass": "primitive",
+            "multiple": false,
+            "typeName": "title"
+          },
+          {
+            "value": [
+              {
+                "authorName": {
+                  "value": "Finch, Fiona",
+                  "typeClass": "primitive",
+                  "multiple": false,
+                  "typeName": "authorName"
+                },
+                "authorAffiliation": {
+                  "value": "Birds Inc.",
+                  "typeClass": "primitive",
+                  "multiple": false,
+                  "typeName": "authorAffiliation"
+                }
+              }
+            ],
+            "typeClass": "compound",
+            "multiple": true,
+            "typeName": "author"
+          },
+          {
+            "value": [ 
+                { "datasetContactEmail" : {
+                    "typeClass": "primitive",
+                    "multiple": false,
+                    "typeName": "datasetContactEmail",
+                    "value" : "finch@mailinator.com"
+                },
+                "datasetContactName" : {
+                    "typeClass": "primitive",
+                    "multiple": false,
+                    "typeName": "datasetContactName",
+                    "value": "Finch, Fiona"
+                }
+            }],
+            "typeClass": "compound",
+            "multiple": true,
+            "typeName": "datasetContact"
+          },
+          {
+            "value": [ {
+               "dsDescriptionValue":{
+                "value":   "Darwin's finches (also known as the Galápagos finches) are a group of about fifteen species of passerine birds.",
+                "multiple":false,
+               "typeClass": "primitive",
+               "typeName": "dsDescriptionValue"
+            }}],
+            "typeClass": "compound",
+            "multiple": true,
+            "typeName": "dsDescription"
+          },
+          {
+            "value": [
+              "Medicine, Health and Life Sciences"
+            ],
+            "typeClass": "controlledVocabulary",
+            "multiple": true,
+            "typeName": "subject"
+          }
+        ],
+        "displayName": "Citation Metadata"
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/python/create_dataset/requirements.txt b/python/create_dataset/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de3dcfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/create_dataset/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pyDataverse==0.3.5