Research data repositories
Research data repositories provide the best option for storing and publishing research data in the long term. Specific repositories may be recommended by funders or publishers, while some funders operate data centres for the research they fund. Most repositories have embargo arrangements to control data access if required, with similar arrangements for access to sensitive data.
If no discipline-specific repository is available, staff and postgraduate students at the University of Sheffield can deposit their research data in ORDA, the University’s data repository. Staff should register details of their data in ORDA, even if the data are stored or published elsewhere.
Find help to choose a repository in the links below and in the Digital Curation Centre guide 'Where to keep research data'.
| Choosing a repository |
The best repository to choose for your research data is a discipline-specific repository or data centre with specialised resources and expertise. A searchable directory of research data repositories can be found at: Examples of discipline-based data centres and data portals include:
There are also a number of multi-disciplinary repositories, including: |
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| Funder recommendations |
While most funders require data to be preserved in an established data repository, some give specific recommendations: |
| Publisher recommendations |
Some publishers offer guidance to authors on data sharing, with some recommending specific repositories:
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DOI allocation
The University Library has a contract with the DataCite consortium, through the British Library, to enable us to allocate DOIs. If you are building or running a data archive (within a department or institute, for example) and would like to add a DOI-allocating capability to your system, please contact us at rdm@sheffield.ac.uk.
For further information, please contact rdm@sheffield.ac.uk