A data repository serves as an online infrastructure for long-term archiving, indexing, searching, and discovery of data. These repositories also provide value-added services such as controlled access, unique identifiers (DOI), data citation, long-term data preservation, etc.
Publishing research data facilitates its reuse and ensures long-term accessibility, even after the conclusion of the study for which it was collected. The ability to find and reuse data is increasingly important for verifying published research work and supporting new studies. It is also a way to comply with the FAIR guiding principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) for responsible research data management.
Funding agencies and journals increasingly require data publication in a reliable repository as part of a well-established data management plan. Some published data is open and ready to be shared or reused without restrictions (e.g., under Creative Commons or other open data licenses), while in some cases, it may be appropriate to impose restrictions on sharing and reuse. (Portage, 2019).
When datasets are small and require minimal maintenance, research data can be deposited in a general or institutional repository. These types of repositories offer affordable (and even sometimes free) services, but they provide fewer features than specialized repositories, particularly in terms of data curation and validation. They typically use in-house or general metadata schemes like Dublin Core, and have efficient deposit and search functionalities. Institutional repositories are known for their accessibility, free availability, and stability. (Carrefour GDR, 2022).
Before selecting a repository for your research data, consider the following key questions (Digital Curation Centre, 2016):
Is the repository trustworthy?
Will it accept the data you want to deposit?
Is it legally secure?
Will the repository preserve the value of the data?
Does it support analysis and tracking of data usage?
Repository |
Data Preservation(years) |
Cost |
File Size |
Data Format |
DOI |
Data Verification |
License |
Embargo |
Free Data Download & Reuse |
Versioning |
Download Statistics |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ÉTS Dataverse - Recommended | Long-term | Free | 3 GB; 10GB | All | Yes | - | CC0 default and + | Possible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Federated Research and Data Repository (FRDR) - Recommended | Long-term | Free | 1 TB of organized storage and + | - | Yes | Yes | Multiple | Possible | Yes | - | - |
Dryad | Indefinitely | 150 USD or free* | 300 GB (or + with additional fees) | Flexible | Yes | Yes | Only CC0 | Possible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
figshare | Long-term | Free | 5 GB | All | Yes + sync with ORCID | Possible | Multiple | Possible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Zenodo | 20+ | Free | 50 GB / dataset | All | Yes | - | Multiple | Possible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Open Science Framework** | 50+ | Free | 5 GB (+ add-on for the project) | - | Yes | - | Multiple | Possible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
(Elsevier) |
Perpetuity | Free | 10GB / Dataset | All | Yes | No | CC and open software | Possible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Adapted from the multidisciplinary repository comparison table found in the RDM guide from the Polytechnique Montreal Library, used with permission from the institution.
Digital Curation Centre. (2016). Where to keep research data. Retrieved from https://www.dcc.ac.uk/guidance/how-guides/where-keep-research-data#5
Portage. (2019). Options de dépôt au Canada : un guide de Portage. Retrieved from https://zenodo.org/record/3966357#.YxDQ4nbMKUk
Carrefour GDR. (2022). Dépôt de données. Retrieved from https://uquebec.libguides.com/c.php?g=723298&p=5200656
Federated Research and Data Repository. (2019). Style guide. Retrieved from: https://prod-web-c1.frdr.ca/docs/en/style_guide/
Borealis: The Canadian Dataverse Repository. (2022). Retrieved from https://borealisdata.ca/
re3data - Registry of Research Data Repositories. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.re3data.org/
Polytechnique Montréal. (2022). Comparaison des dépôts multidisciplinaires. Retrieved from https://guides.biblio.polymtl.ca/donneesrecherche/choisir
Portage. (2020). Groupe de travail sur la COVID-19 du Réseau Portage pour l’Association des bibliothèques de recherche du Canada (ABRC). Ensemble des documents requis pour les dépôts. Retrieved from: https://zenodo.org/record/4046708#.Y6DNeHbMKUk
Fonds de recherche du Québec. (2021). Quand les revues demandent de rendre les données partageables. Retrieved from: https://frq.gouv.qc.ca/app/uploads/2021/07/elements-a-considerer-pour-eclairer-la-decision_v14.pdf