Data Repositories

What is a data repository?

A research data repository is an online storage and management system for research data, designed to preserve, share, and make data discoverable and reusable. 

Why choose a data repository?

There are many reasons, here are a few,

1. Long-term Sustainability: Using a personal or lab website or even uploading the dataset in journal article supplementary files is not advisable. In addition, simply adding “available upon request” to the data availability statement in a publication is not sufficient. Studies have demonstrated that when data is actually requested, many authors have failed to comply. 
2. Compliance with Data Sharing Policies: Many funding agencies, journals, and organizations require researchers to share their data through a data repository. This requirement helps ensure data transparency and reproducibility in research.
3. Data Discovery and Accessibility: Repositories make data more visible and accessible to researchers and other users.

Data Repository Types

Institutional repository:
An institutional repository (IR) is an online archive used by universities or other institutions to collect, preserve, and disseminate digital versions of their scholarly and creative output both within and outside the institution. CMU does not have a subscription to an institutional repository. However,  CMU Library Data Services can help you to find a suitable repository for your research.

General-Purpose Repositories:
Cater to a broad range of research disciplines and are often open to the public. Most of them are open repositories that are recommended by funding agencies and publishers (e.g.) Registry of Research Data Repositories (re3data), FAIRsharing.

Domain-Specific (disciplinary) Repositories:
Focused on specific research areas or data types (e.g., social sciences, genomics). Most of disciplinary repositories are included in General-Purpose repositories, while some repositories are from government agencies or organizations (e.g.) FITBIR   

Governments, funders, institutions, and publishers worldwide are increasingly introducing open data policies and mandates to encourage researchers to share their research data openly with specific recommendations for data repositories. 

1. Check the requirements, guidelines, and recommendations with grant funders, the university, or journal publishers of your research. 

2. Use this guide to find a related data repository. This guide provides the following entries for CMU users.

• Repositories recommended by government agencies
• Repositories recommended by journal publishers
• Open repositories
• Disciplinary repositories (Domain-Specific Repositories)
• Database repositories
• Qualitative data repositories  

3. Contact Library Data Services to help you locate a suitable repository for your research.