Save Your Research

My 2 Cents on Sharing Your Research (Or How Not to Get Lost in the Data Jungle)

Sharing research data is like hosting a party. You want everything to be in the right place, accessible to everyone, but not too chaotic. Let’s navigate the data jungle together, shall we?

Possible Data Repositories

• Harvard Dataverse: Great if you’re a minimalist, with a cap of 1TB per researcher. Supports only JSON and XML, so it’s like a party with a strict dress code.

• Zenodo: The friendly neighbor who never says no. Unlimited space, supports everything, and even merged with Dryad.

• Dryad: Must involve your institution. It’s like needing a chaperone for a night out.

• Figshare: Got categories? Figshare is the librarian of data sharing.

• Mendeley Data: Like a sophisticated social club for data enthusiasts.

• OSF: If data repositories had a welcoming committee, OSF would be it.

• VIVLI: The specialized clinic for clinical research data. Not for the faint of heart!

• F1000Research: It’s there if you need it. Kind of like your in-laws.

If you’re the indecisive type and need a full-on spreadsheet to make your life choices, here’s a comparison chart.

Sharing Tips (or How to be the Life of the Data Party)

• For Datasets: Zenodo is your buffet table of unlimited choices. More on Zenodo & Dryad’s merger.

• For Presentations: f1000research, where slide decks go to party. No limit means the dance floor is always open.

  • If you want to share everything (e.g., data, slides, posters, etc.) in one place (i.e., project), Figshare is your best bet (but it’s just not my personal favorite).

• For Code or Procedures: Zenodo again! They’re like that friend who’s good at everything. Even better, publish your documentation as an article on the Journal of Open Source Software (my personal favorite) or the Journal of Open Research Software

The Last Crumb

Remember, these repositories are like different rooms at a party. They all come with a DOI and support an embargo period (that’s the bouncer keeping things under control). Choose wisely, or you might end up in the metaphorical coatroom of the data-sharing party.

Happy sharing and don’t get lost in the data jungle!