What are repositories?
Data repositories are digital storage spaces that enable researchers and academics to deposit datasets and make them more discoverable, reusable, and accessible.
Many journals and publishers require that any associated or referenced data in a publication be uploaded to an approved data repository as part of the publishing process. Doing so not only bolsters the credibility of your work by making the data visible, but it helps preserve a copy of the data that was used in the research.
Choosing a repository
It can be difficult to identify which repository you may wish to use to store your data.
Generally, you may find that your department has suggestions for particular repositories that they prefer, or the publisher with whom you are working may have recommendations or requirements for what repositories are acceptable.
Many researchers have the option of choosing either a subject-specific repository that is tailored to the kind of data often used in a particular field, or a generalist, subject-agnostic repository designed for the storage of data of any kind.
For help in choosing where to deposit your data, we recommend speaking with your department's Research Services Librarian.
Repository examples
Subject-Specific Repositories
Explore re3data to discover the many subject-specific repositories that are available in your field. It is generally a good idea to choose a repository that issues DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) for your work so that your data has a persistent, accurate, and discoverable presence.
Some generalist repositories:
- 4TU.ResearchData - a trusted long-term archive for storing and reusing applied, technical-scientific research data.
- ANDS Contributing Repositories - the data discovery service of the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC).
- Dryad Digital Repository - an open source, community driven project that focuses on search, presentation, and discovery and delegates the responsibility for the data preservation function to the underlying repository with which it is integrated.
- Figshare - a home for papers, FAIR data and non-traditional research outputs that is easy to use and ready now.
- Harvard Dataverse - a free data repository open to all researchers from any discipline where you can share, archive, cite, access, and explore research data.
- Mendeley Data - a secure cloud-based repository where you can store your data, ensuring it is easy to share, access and cite.
- Open Science Framework - a cloud-based file and data storing and sharing solution that doubles as a project collaboration platform.
- Science Data Bank - a public, general-purpose data repository aiming to provide data services for researchers, research projects/teams, journals, institutions, universities, etc
- Zenodo - a general-purpose open-access repository developed under the European OpenAIRE program and operated by CERN.
- Code Ocean - a centralized platform for the creation, sharing, publication, preservation and reuse of executable code and data.