We frequently get asked what repository is the right one for storing research data. To which we respond: “It depends on what requirements you have to meet and what you require from your own data.” These guidelines should help to get you going in the right direction:

1. Am I even allowed to archive or publish my data?

Research data is frequently subject to many legal provisions. Before you consider archiving or publishing any, find out from your institution what the general legal conditions1 are, discuss your data with your research partners, and be sure to attain their explicit permission or consent if necessary.

2. Would it be sufficient to archive or publish metadata?

Good scientific practice prescribes archiving research data for at least 10 years and making it available to one’s own research group. Other guidelines simply suggest making metadata visible and restricting access to data or only enabling it after a certain embargo period. However, the EU Open Science Policy calls for the broad publication of all research. Be sure to check the specifications of your funding body.

3. Does it suffice to make the research data public as part of a textual publication or does it have to be included in a data journal?

Research data is often submitted along with a textual publication. Check your journal’s stipulations for selecting a repository (e.g. assignment of a DOI, certification of the repository, location of the data centers). Publishing data in a data journal with its own peer review procedure is also becoming more popular. Talk about an appropriate publication strategy within your research group.

4. Do you know who the target group of your research data is?

Discuss with your research group about who could be interested in your research data and in what form the data would be most useful to this target group. Depending on the answer to this question, you may decide on the institutional OpARA, a discipline-specific or data format-specific repository for your community, or a generic repository. By recognizing what would be best for your target group, you can search more precisely for suitable repositories, for instance via re3data.org, ROAR or OPENDOAR.

5. Are there any technical limitations or hidden costs to take into account?

Are there any costs associated with open-access or open-data publication, your data volume, the archival period or data curation? Do obligatory metadata standards, data formats or data quality standards stand in the way? Take a close look at the requirements and potential costs of the repository in question. See if you are eligible for financial support or consultation from your own institution or plan financial resources in conjunction with research data management in your data management plan as part of your project proposal.

Do you have further questions on this topic or would you like more detailed information on specific elements?

We would be glad to hear from you. Please contact us at Service Center Research Data by email or book an appointment.