Selecting a Data Repository
A data repository is a place to archive and make publicly available research datasets. To select an appropriate repository take the following steps
| Step | Note |
|---|---|
| 1. Are you required to deposit in a certain repository? | Some funders and journals require or recommend datasets be deposited in their repositories. Check the specific requirements or contact us for assistance in making this determination |
| 2. Is there a discipline-specific repository? | If you have a choice of where to deposit, look for commonly used repositories in your discipline. Some repositories are geared towards groups of disciplines while others are specific to a specific kind of research. |
| 3. If there is no discipline-specific repository, select a general repository | There are several general-purpose repositories that can fulfill funder and journal sharing requirements. The choice often comes down to personal preferences. |
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For a one-stop shop that addresses all funder, journal, and University requirements, consider ReDATA, the University of Arizona's Research Data Repository.
For non-data archival needs (manuscripts, theses/dissertations, books, etc.), please visit the Campus Repository. Contact Kimberly Chapman, Director.
Tools for Finding Repositories
Data Indexers
| NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Re3Data | Registry of Research Data Repositories. A worldwide index of data repositories. |
| Fairsharing | A database of data repositories and related metadata standards and policies. Also useful for identifying metadata standards for writing a DMP. |
| Google Dataset Search | Search for data across many data repositories and government websites |
| Data.world | Collection of community contributed datasets |
| Awesome Datasets | Collection of community contributed datasets |
Other Resources
- DataCite has an extensive list of subject repositories. If you want to search the file, for example by subject, it's available to download from Google Doc
- Scientific Data's Recommended Data Repositories is a list of recommended data repositories by Nature's Scientific Data journal. All manuscripts submitted to Scientific Data must be deposited in an approved data repository.
- NIH Data Sharing Repositories is a table listing NIH-supported data repositories that accept submissions of appropriate data. Includes the Institute or Center, Repository Name, Description, Submission Policy, and How to Access the Data.
- American Heart Association Data Repositories (AHA) is a list of approved data repositories in support of the recently released AHA Open Science Policy. Subject-focused repositories, when available, are preferred over general repositories.
- Data Repositories (Open Access Directory)
Examples of Well-known Data Repositories
We created this table to help with writing DMPs but it's also useful for finding repositories at the publication stage.