Data publication
Have you recently been asked by a publisher to provide a link to a publicly available version of your data? Found a clause in the terms of your grant that references data sharing?
There are many ways to share data with your colleagues and research collaborators during the active course of your research, but when you're ready to publish or to begin winding down a project, it may be time to begin thinking through strategies to make your data available for the long term and in a sustainable way.
Your data are a first-class research product! Data sharing through formal publication has a number of benefits to you as a researcher. Publication can:
- help you fulfill funder or publisher requirements;
- raise interest in your research and increase your citation rate;
- establish priority and build a public record for your research;
- improve your research's reproducibility.
Choosing a repository
When choosing a data repository, it is important to consider the repository's reputation, sustainability and its visibility within your field, among other characteristics. The inclusion criteria used by PLOS One to recommend data repositories is a good resource to help you evaluate potential repositories. In addition, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has released a list of Desirable Characteristics of Data Repositories that can help you narrow down your options.