How to choose and navigate the right data repository for your research
How to choose and navigate the right data repository for your research
Author Resources > Writing a DMP > Choosing your data repository
Many national institutes, funders, and journals maintain lists of endorsed repositories. Yet, choosing the best repository from such lists can be daunting. Here, we offer guidance on selecting the most suitable repository for your research data.
Data repositories provide a place for researchers to store data sets associated with their research. If you are an author seeking to comply with a journal data sharing policy you will need to identify a suitable repository for your data.
An open access data repository stores data openly so users worldwide can gain immediate access. There are no limitations to the repository access. As a result, repositories make data findable, accessible, and usable over time through sustainable file formats and persistent identifiers (metadata).
Research data sharing policies and mandates are increasingly being introduced by governments, foundations, and institutions around the world. You can ensure that your data will remain accessible to humans and machines for a long time by depositing it in a publicly accessible research data repository that assigns a persistent identifier (PI or PID).
DataCite lets you search for certified repositories that support FAIR data principles using their repository finder tool. You can also use FAIRsharing and Re3Data to search for a suitable repository and they will provide information that will help you identify certified data repositories that are most suited to your needs.
For help choosing a suitable repository, consult your librarian, funder, or institutional colleagues. The best option depends on your discipline, formatting needs, legal and ethical considerations, funding source, and target journal. Once you have identified potential repositories, consider the following:
Your audience
Other researchers in your field—and the data analysis, search, and retrieval software they rely on—may be your primary audience. If so, you might consider a centralized, field-specific repository.
Your data should be accessible and easy to find by the people (or machines) most likely to use it. This might include:
- Other researchers outside of your field or professional groups. This is especially important for highly interdisciplinary work. You might consider a public repository that is widely known and serves many disciplines.
- Funding agencies that you may wish to apply to for future grants to continue the work. Choosing an open access data repository will ensure there are not issues accessing and sharing your data. Some funders may even require you to do so.
- Editors and reviewers at the journal. Even if your data is confidential or proprietary, you will need a way to make this accessible to key stakeholders in your manuscript evaluation.
Long-term accessibility
- Can those who need access to your data find it easily? For example, if you have used a field-specific repository for interdisciplinary work, other researchers may not know where to look.
- Is your data optimized for machine readability? Your data should be structured in a simple, consistent format that makes it easier for researchers to access and reuse without manual intervention.
- Will you be able to access your own data when you leave your institution? If your institution provides a repository but restricts access to the public, you may lose access if you move on to a different organization.
- Should access to your data be restricted? If your data contains sensitive information about a vulnerable population or other sensitive topic that cannot be made widely available, have you provided a clear path for those who do need verified access to be able to obtain it?
Compliance
Other key stakeholders in the publication of your research may have specific policies in place for ensuring the long-term accessibility and use of data. Before choosing a repository, be sure to check the following:
- Institutional requirements. Check with your institution to see if they offer a data management plan, institutional repository, or other guidelines for sharing your data.
- Funder requirements. Some funders require a data management plan to be submitted along with any grant proposal. Many publicly funded projects require open and accessible data.
- Journal requirements. Even if it is not required by your institution or funder, the journal you have chosen may require you to make all available data open, and/or provide a data availability statement indicating how your data can be accessed.
What is a digital object identifier (DOI)?
Digital object identifiers (DOIs) are assigned when researchers upload documents to online data repositories. A DOI is a globally unique and persistent string that identifies your work permanently. Data repositories can assign a DOI to any document. The DOI contains metadata that provides users with relevant information about an object, such as the title, author, keywords, year of publication, and the URL where that document is stored
What if your study includes proprietary data?
You may find yourself in a situation where your ideal sharing method or repository is at odds with one of these requirements. For example, your institution or funder may insist the data you have collected is proprietary which could limit you from publishing in journals where open data is required. In either case, you should make sure your data is available to editors and reviewers at your selected journal so they can properly evaluate the work
Do I have to pay to deposit data to a repository?
It is always a good idea to check whether your repository requires a data publication fee. Not all repositories require data publication charges. If your chosen repository does require a fee, you could still be entitled to sponsorship from a publisher or funder. Dryad charges a data publication fee, but Zenodo and Figshare both allow registered users to deposit data free of charge.
Where can I find some examples of data repositories?
FAIRsharing provides a comprehensive list of repositories filterable by discipline, journal recommendation, and region. Or take a look at our list of recommended repositories on our journal information page.
Final thoughts
Sharing your data openly is key to increasing the reproducibility and trustworthiness of your research. Yet, many find understanding the differences, limitations, and benefits of different data repositories challenging. But, choosing a verified data repository suited to your research data and your needs, does not have to be difficult. Our guidance will help you understand, find, and select the most suitable data repository for your research so you can confidently meet open data requirements.
Next: Planning your research and data
Choosing the right journal
How to write a methods section
How to report statistics for a journal article
