If you’re working with research data, it’s important to keep it safe and usable—not just for now, but for the future too. Here are a few tips to help you preserve and protect your data:
A data repository is a digital place where datasets are stored, organized, and shared. Think of a repository like a digital filing cabinet where researchers store and share their research and data after a project is finished. It helps keep everything organized, finable, and open for others to use.
Depositing your research and datasets into a trusted data repository is beneficial to the long-term preservation and protection of your data because researchers, institutions, and funders need to make sure data is:
Before submitting your data to a repository, make sure the repository is considered to be “trusted.” A trusted data repository is a secure, reliable place where research data is stored, managed and made available for future use. It follows best practices to protect the data’s quality, ensure it stays accessible over time, and supports responsible data sharing practices.
So, what makes a repository a trusted data repository?
These are a few of the strategies used by trusted data repositories to preserve and protect research data for long-term usability, integrity, and accessibility:
1. Data Integrity & Authenticity
2. Long-Term Preservation
3. Access Control & Security
4. Metadata & Documentation
5. Standards & Certifications
6. Data Curation & Stewardship
There are two main types of repositories:
Most of these repositories use open licenses, like Creative Commons, which means the data is free for others to access and reuse (with credit, of course!).
The Amherst College Library maintains a list of reputable and commonly used open repositories. Browse our curated list of general cross-disciplinary and subject-specific data repositories on our Open Access Repositories page.
If you’re curious to learn more about open access and trusted data repositories, check out these resources: