Library Subject Guides
Archiving research data means depositing it to a data repository where it will be protected in the long term against loss, deterioration, inappropriate access, and future incompatibility. Data repositories make your data available to more people, helping you to raise the impact of your research and your research profile.
You have a number of options available to you.
Your decision on which repository to use will be informed by who your funder is and what they require, and the reputation of the repository.
Take a look at the flow chart to identify if you should use a funder recommended, discipline-specific or generalist data repository.
Open in Google Slides to follow the links to more detailed guidance
You should choose a recognised data repository for your discipline if one exists; unless your funder requires otherwise.
Specialised services dealing with discipline-specific data are best placed to manage and provide appropriate access to your data for the long-term as they have the expertise and the resources to deal with particular types and sizes of research data.
You should check whether your discipline recommends or mandates the use of specific repositories. For example, you must deposit genetic sequences data in GenBank.
Check re3data.org or FAIRsharing.org, international registries that lists repositories and their characteristics, to see if there is an appropriate discipline-specific repository for your data.
Alternatively, you may wish to talk to colleagues working in your research field or look for where their data is deposited for sharing by checking data access statements in relevant publications. Data access statements signpost the reader to where supporting data can be found.
Many funders have expectations for the deposit of data in an appropriate data repository, to ensure that it is preserved and remains accessible for future use. For example:
You can find further information on funder recommended data repositories on the funder requirements page.
Generalist repositories are a good alternative if a recognised data repository for your discipline doesn’t exist or your funder doesn't recommend a data repository.
Generalist repositories accept data regardless of data type, content or disciplinary focus. Examples include figshare, Zenodo, Dryad and the University's Research Data York.
There are number of things to consider when choosing a suitable data repository for your research data:
Reputation: Does the repository have a good reputation in your field? Is it recommended by your funder or journal?
Metadata: What metadata requirements are there? Will others will be able to find and cite your dataset?
Persistent identifier: Will a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or an accession number be assigned to your dataset, that you can include in your data access statement?
Access restrictions: Can you apply access restrictions or an embargo period if you need to?
You can find guidance on secure data repositories on the working with sensitive data page.
Licence: Under what licence are datasets made available for reuse? Will the licence terms fit with your funder requirements?
Intellectual property: Are you required to assign any copyright in the dataset to the repository? You should avoid using repositories that require transfer of rights. University policy on intellectual property see Regulation 12: Intellectual property
Established and funded: Can you rely on it to preserve your data in X years time? Is it established and well funded?
For more guidance see the Digital Curation Centre's checklist where to keep your research data.
Thinking about archiving and sharing your data as part of your data management planning will help to ensure that your data is ready for deposit at the appropriate time. For example, data repositories may ask you to meet minimum quality standards so that your data can be understood and reused by other researchers, tasks that may take time to complete.