Data repository

If you wish to make your data openly available, increase the visibility of your research, make your data FAIR, and comply with funder requirements, you may consider to publish your data in a data repository. Data repositories contribute to the openness, transparency, and reproducibility of research by providing a standardized and accessible way to share and store data, fostering a more interconnected and impactful scientific community.

Benefits of using data repository:

• Secure and reliable way to store and manage your data
• Long-term data preservation
• Access control and easy sharing with scientific community
• Promotion and help with adhering to FAIR principles
• A persistent identifier (e.g. DOI, Handle) will be assigned to your dataset, which provides a permanent link to the data, making your data findable and citable.
• Option to choose suitable license, providing clarity for the potential user of your data whether and how re-use of your data is permitted (see licenses).
• The requirement to add appropriate metadata to the data.

There are various data repositories available, some of which are listed below. While these repositories differ in their options for restricted access and, for example, size of data storage, the type of data you want to deposit should be considered.

Before uploading your data into a repository, make sure that you data is suitable for making them openly available. For example, datasets containing personal data or (privacy-)sensitive data require additional attention. They may be published for example under restricted access, or only a description or metadata of the data with an explanation on how the data can be shared. You can also check Re3data.org for an overview of data repositories or contact the data stewards of the RDM support team for a tailored advice.

4TU.ResearchData 
A Dutch repository for research data initiated by the Dutch technological universities (Eindhoven, Delft, Twente). The repository has received the Data Seal of Approval (guaranteeing long-term storage) and provides restricted access options and flexibility in license choice. Datasets generally come from the fields of engineering and technology but are open to all sciences, are stored in the Netherlands for a minimum of 15 years and are assigned a DOI. Researchers affiliated to the universities of technology in Eindhoven can deposit up to 100 GB of data per year free of charge, where for larger datasets there is a one-off cost of €3/GB (for 15 years storage). 4TU.ResearchData can also be synced with your GitHub account.

Please check the demo video to learn how to use the 4TU.ResearchData repository software.

Zenodo 
A European initiative providing a data repository for research data from all fields. Zenodo can also be connected to GitHub, enabling code citation from GitHub (https://guides.github.com/activities/citable-code/). The repository allows for restricted access and a choice from a variety of licenses. Datasets are stored within the EU, are preserved for a minimum of ten years, and assigned a DOI. Research data up to 50 GB can be stored for free, but deposition of larger datasets must be negotiated.

When choosing a repository for your data, be sure to think of the criteria the repository needs to meet in terms of your data, funders and journal editors (e.g. assigning a DOI, adding adequate metadata, and being able to select a license). You can ask your peers if they know discipline-specific repositories that are commonly used in your field of research but make sure these repositories meet your criteria.

Once you have published, archived or deposited research data in a data repository, please register your research data in Pure. Pure is the source system for registration of all forms of TU/e research output, including research data. Please note that Pure is intended for the registration of records of datasets or data collections. Do not use Pure to archive the actual data. The actual data must be deposited in a data repository. If you have not done this yet, please do this first.

In many cases, your research data will be part of or be related to other research output (for example, a journal publication or the underlying research data published in a data repository). In Pure you can easily link research output that is related to each other or part of a larger project. At the bottom of the registration form, a field called Relations to other content is shown; this allows you to link research datasets to papers, book chapters, a PhD or master thesis, etc. The exact details on how to do this are explained here.

For further questions about repositories or registering your dataset in Pure, please contact the data stewards of the RDM support team (rdmsupport@tue.nl).

Does TU/e have its own data repository to deposit research data?
Yes, that’s 4TU.ResearchData. It’s co-developed by TU Delft, University of Twente and TU/e.

Is it mandatory to use 4TU.ResearchData to deposit my research data at the end of the project?
No, if there is a good alternative in your scientific discipline, we advise you to use it. See this short overview or go to re3data.org to find a suitable repository.

How can I upload my data sets in 4TU.ResearchData?
Go to 4TU.ResearchData, select TU/e at Institutional account, log in with your TU/e credentials, fill out the upload form, and attach your data files to the form. You can find instructions here. You can also check the demo video to learn how to use the 4TU.ResearchData repository software.

Are there any costs involved in uploading datasets in 4TUResearchData?
For TU/e staff the use of 4TU.ResearchData is free up to 100 GB per year per researcher. For example, if you are working on a project with three colleagues, each of you can upload 100 GB of data, in total 300 GB. If your data exceeds this limit, please contact rdmsupport@tue.nl.

Is my dataset immediately online once I have uploaded it?
No, your data set and accompanying description will first be reviewed. You will be informed whether or not your dataset is approved. This will take approximately three working days.

A while ago I published a dataset in 4TUResearchData and now I would like to mention the article that belongs to the dataset. Is that possible?
Yes, that’s possible and you can do this yourself (for more info see this). You can also reserve a data-DOI in the upload form of the repository. Do not publish your dataset yet. You can use this data-DOI in your manuscript. The data-DOI will be activated once you publish the dataset online. If at that point you have the DOI of your article, you can include this in the metadata section of the submission. This will complete the circle: the article-DOI is referenced in the metadata of the dataset, the data-ROI is referenced in the article.

I just published a dataset with 4TU.ResearchData and I discovered a serious mistake in a data file. Can I remove or change my dataset?
It is not possible to remove the dataset entirely. You are allowed to modify your published dataset. The modified version will receive a new DOI. The original DOI of the published dataset will always take you to the latest version of the item. For more info see this.

What is a DOI?
A DOI is not a URL. A DOI is a unique number that identifies a digital object on the internet (a publication, a data set, etc.) regardless of where the object is located on the internet (URL). This means that if the URL of the object changes, the object can still be found using the DOI.