Research Data Management and Sharing

While sharing your data will occur near the end of your research project, it is important to plan with the end in mind. There are many factors that are involved with data sharing—so don’t hesitate to reach out with questions. 

Data sharing is often an expectation of funding agencies and publishers. To meet these requirements, data should be deposited into a publicly discoverable repository. There are many potential places where you can store this data, so consider carefully. 

1. Does your funder require your data to be shared in a specific repository? 

2. If not, is there a disciplinary or format-specific repository in which your data could be shared? 

3. If not, can the data be shared through IU DataCORE? 

4. If not, use a generalist repository (such as Dryad). 

You should also consider the following questions:  

• What are the repository’s policies? 

• What is the level of access of the data: restricted or open-access? 

• Will the repository mint a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and ensure your data are discoverable? 

• How long will your data be preserved? Will the data ever be deleted? 

• What support does the repository offer for you, as you share your data? 

• Are there fees for publishing data in that repository? 

If you decide to pursue a generalist repository, compare your options. 

When you are ready to publish your data, review the repository’s requirements for your data. In general, you will need to: 

• Confirm you have the rights to deposit and share the data. 

• Confirm that the data can ethically and legally be shared (e.g., participants received consent, no sensitive data are present, etc.). 

• Confirm that you are sharing all data, as detailed in the data management and sharing plan. 

Additionally, spend time reviewing the files.  

• Be sure the files are grouped logically. This could be divided by time, geographic location, analysis, publication, or other meaningful division.  

• Use descriptive filenames and avoid spaces and special characters.  

• Document everything and update your README file. Ensure that all files, variables, and methods are described. Record all contributors.  

When you are ready, deposit your data! Many repositories employ a curation process, in which the data will be further reviewed before publication. 

While there are valid reasons data might not be shared (e.g., legal constraints, participant privacy, ethical considerations), there are often still portions of the data that can be shared. Consider: 

• Can the data be deidentified (and still retain value)?  

• Can the code be shared (if applicable)? 

• Can the data be shared in a controlled-access repository (e.g., Vivli, ICPSR)? 

Be sure to consult with SecureMyResearch if you have sensitive data sharing needs. 

• Contact the Research Data Services Team to discuss repository options or to review your data for publication