Data Repositories
Comparison Chart
| Name of Repository | Repository details | Size Limits |
| Borealis |
Canadian Dataverse Repository stores multidisciplinary, secure, Canadian research data on Canadian servers in Toronto. Dataverse is an open-source software developed at Harvard University with contributors from Canada and around the globe. Visit Getting Started page to learn more. |
Up to <3GB per dataset |
| FRDR-DFDR |
Federated Research Data Repository (FRDR) is free to all Canadian researchers. Data hosted on Canadian servers. |
Datasets larger than 3GB |
| figshare |
International open source repository Data hosted on various servers internationally. |
Up to 20GB per dataset |
| Zendono |
A multidisciplinary open source platform developed by CERN. Data hosted on Switzerland and Budapest servers. |
Up to 50GB per dataset |
| OSF | Open Science Framework (OSF) is a free and open source project management tool that supports researchers throughout their entire project lifecycle. | 5GB to 50GB depending on the project |
Journal Policies
When publishing an article in a journal, you may be asked to share data to support your research in an open access data repository.
Look out for "Submission Guidelines", "Author Guidelines" or "Information for Authors" for specific requirements for data deposit.
Citing Data
Citing datasets is exact same as citing references -- to acknowledge the original author/producer, ensure the data is discoverable, and build credibility of your scholarly work.
Elements of data citation include:
- Author Name(s)
- Date of Publication
- Title
- Publisher
- Electronic Location or Identifier (DOI)
Examples
APA (6th edition)
Smith, T.W., Marsden, P.V., & Hout, M. (2011). General social survey, 1972-2010 cumulative file (ICPSR31521-v1) [data file and codebook]. Chicago, IL: National Opinion Research Center [producer]. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]. doi: 10.3886/ICPSR31521.v1
MLA (7th edition)
Smith, Tom W., Peter V. Marsden, and Michael Hout. General Social Survey, 1972-2010 Cumulative File. ICPSR31521-v1. Chicago, IL: National Opinion Research Center [producer]. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2011. Web. 23 Jan 2012. doi:10.3886/ICPSR31521.v1
Chicago (16th edition)
Smith, Tom W., Peter V. Marsden, and Michael Hout. 2011. General Social Survey, 1972-2010 Cumulative File. ICPSR31521-v1. Chicago, IL: National Opinion Research Center. Distributed by Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. doi:10.3886/ICPSR31521.v1
ORCID & DOI
ORCID stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID and it provides a unique, open, persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from other researchers with same or similar name as you. ORCID is a public identifier that ensures all work you publish are streamlined and improves discoverability of you and your research output.
To get started, register in a few steps.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) works as a persistent address stamp for journal articles, books and other scholarly works so they can be easily located. Examples include:
Cole JB Florez JC . Genetics of diabetes mellitus and diabetes complications. Nat Rev Nephrol (2020) 16:377–90. doi: 10.1038/s41581-020-0278-5
Udler MS . Type 2 diabetes: Multiple genes, multiple diseases. Curr Diabetes Rep (2019) 19:55. doi: 10.1007/s11892-019-1169-7