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Research Data Management (RDM): Data repositories

Why Publish Your Data?

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).

Choosing a Data Repository

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):

  1. Is the repository trustworthy?

  2. Will it accept the data you want to deposit?

  3. Is it legally secure?

  4. Will the repository preserve the value of the data?

  5. Does it support analysis and tracking of data usage?

Comparison of Multidisciplinary Repositories

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

Mendeley Data

(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.

Considerations Before Depositing Data

References

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