A key aspect of data management involves not only making articles available, but also the data, code, and materials used to conduct that research. Data repositories are a centralized place to hold data, make data available for use, organize data in a logical manner and facilitate discovery.
Which Repository Should I Use?
In choosing a repository for your data, consider:
- Does your funder require or suggest a specific repository?
- Is there a repository specific for your discipline or type of data?
- Determine if the data repository includes the desirable features:
- Assigns unique persistent identifiers (e.g., DOI)
- Long-term sustainability
- Curation and quality assurance services
- Free and easy access
- Allows broad and measured reuse
- Provides clear use guidance
- Security and integrity
- Maintains confidentiality
- Supports common file formats
- Records data provenance (e.g., tracks data versions)
- Documented retention policies
Tools for Identifying a Repository
UC Davis Resources
- Dryad - Dryad is an open-source, research data curation and publication platform. UC Davis is a proud partner of Dryad and offers Dryad as a free service for all UC Davis researchers to publish and archive their data. Datasets published in Dryad receive a DOI and can be versioned at any time. Dryad is integrated with hundreds of journals and is an easy way to both publish data and comply with funder and publisher mandates.
- ICPSR - As a member institution of ICPSR, UC Davis is provided multiple free options to deposit data at ICPSR, including (1) the General Archive where data are curated and available at no cost to those at member institutions, (2) openICPSR where self-published, uncurated data are available at no cost to all users, and (3) one of the sponsored topical archives provided the data meet any applicable selection criteria.