Open Access Week is a great time to examine how you share your research and identify steps you can take to be more open. Sharing your research data (if appropriate) to support your publications is an excellent place to start, especially considering the upcoming NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS) policy. The ASU Research Data Repository may be an appropriate choice for sharing data generated from NIH-funded research.
To help break down some key decision points, here are selected components and supplementary information from Selecting a Repository for Data Resulting from NIH-Supported Research to show how the ASU Research Data Repository complies.
Unique persistent identifiers
The Research Data Repository provides Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) at the dataset record level for published datasets. Persistent identifiers ensure your research and scholarly materials meet the findable and accessible aspects of the FAIR principles as mentioned in yesterday’s Open Access Week post.
DOIs are durable, permanent URLs that make it easier to cite your work and ensure you get credit where it is due. This also helps you coordinate publishing your data along with an article in the publishing process if you need to cite your dataset availability. Learn more at DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) Explained.
Long-term sustainability
Consistent with the library's mission, the ASU Research Data Repository is built on a stable infrastructure powered by the Harvard Dataverse project, which supports the long-term management of research datasets, including maintaining integrity and authenticity. We are part of an international research data repository network with contingency plans to ensure published data are available and maintained during and after unforeseen events.
Metadata
We support rich and customizable metadata to make your datasets more discoverable, usable and cited by others. The descriptive and administrative information about your project goes into your dataset records. Additional file-level support, such as descriptions and file tags, help users browse large datasets and understand their purpose. Published datasets are indexed in the ASU Library One Search and appropriate scholarly search indexes like Google Dataset Search and DataCite.
Curation and quality assurance
The library provides systematic preservation of research datasets and supplemental materials. Our data curators advise what content should be preserved and assist in metadata creation and quality control. These checks ensure your data is durable and discoverable for as long as it is useful.
Free and easy access
The repository, part of ASU’s university-wide data management effort, is a place to publish, find and use research datasets and is, by default, an open-access resource. We do not charge for downloading and reusing the dataset files and only accept datasets intended for public access.
Broad and measured reuse
We encourage publishing datasets and their metadata using the CC0 Public Domain Dedication for the broadest possible terms of reuse. Other standard and custom terms and licensing are available if needed. We also provide up-to-the-minute records of how many times your files have been downloaded to help you evaluate and measure the impact of how your data are being used.
Clear use guidance
We provide a service scope and terms of use for repository submissions. Datasets can feature customized guidance on accessing and using your datasets in your metadata and the documentation uploaded to your record. Consult ASU Research Data Management for further information related to data use agreements.
Security and integrity, confidentiality, and common formats
We monitor your dataset’s file integrity. Only the dataset owner can make changes to any files. The library retains the original digital assets and monitors our system twenty-four hours daily with redundant system integrity checks, backups and recovery procedures. When you update your files, we track those changes and create a new version within your item record.
If you want your datasets to be useful and usable for a long time, you’ll need to consider the format you use. Check out our recommended file formats library guide to learn which has the most support and prepare your datasets for publication by file type to ensure long-term access.
If your data must remain restricted due to legal or ethical restrictions, there may be other options to consider. Consult with us to help identify the most appropriate alternative repository options to responsibly archive and share your datasets. Contact the Research Data Management Office if your datasets require additional security measures and restrictions.
Provenance
The ASU Research Data Repository records the origin, chain of custody, and any modifications to your data in the version records. We can track all actions to files and metadata, including who uploaded or removed files and who edited the metadata.
Consider these aspects when you draft your data management plan and contact the ASU Library Researcher Support to see if our repository is the most appropriate home for your research data.
