Data Repositories

CMU does not have an institutional repository. This guide is aimed for providing open resources and help all CMU data users including Data Management Plan (DMP) users to identify relevant repositories for research data management. OIT also provides assistance for CMU data users.

A data repository is a storage space for researchers to deposit data sets associated with their research. A repository can help you:

• manage your data
• preserve your data over time
• facilitate discovery of your data
• cite your data by a persistent identifier to increase citation rates

"Data should be submitted to discipline-specific, community-recognized repositories where possible. Where a suitable discipline-specific resource does not exist, data should be submitted to a generalist repository."1 The following online directories maintain lists of data sources and repositories across a wide range of disciplines.

• Registry of Research Data Repositories (re3data) global registry of research data repositories that covers repositories from different academic disciplines. As of 2015, it is a merged listing of re3data and DataBib, managed by DataCite.
  • re3data.org FAQ answer questions like "How can I add a research data repository to re3data?"

• FAIRsharing A cross-disciplinary platform that houses manually curated metadata on standards, databases and data policies. It is searchable and provides a list of certified data repositories.

• Open Access Directory of Data Repositories Maintains lists of open access data repositories for a wide range of subject areas.
   
• Nature.Scientific Data. (n.d.). Data Repository Guidance. https://www.nature.com/sdata/policies/repositories
   
• Check a list of Data Repositories. "Free" repositories are marked asterisk symbol (*) depending on repository size or a variety of conditions and criteria; while repositories with costs are not marked.
   
• Selecting a Data Repository (NIH). This page contains resources to help you to learn how to evaluate and select appropriate data repositories.
   

• Research Data Management Workbook (caltech.edu) The Research Data Management Workbook is made up of a collection of exercises for researchers to improve their data management. The Workbook contains exercises across the data lifecycle.