Archiving

Repositories

Respositories aim on the permanent storage of data, respectively archiving, and partially include the publication of data. In general, a distinction is made between institutional, domain-specific and generic data repositories. The types of digital objects which can be stored include text documents, audio data, software, results of experiments or measurements, survey data or, in a broader sense, research data of some special formats. (mor information in German: repositoriesExternal link, long term archivingExternal link)

The portal re3data.orgExternal link provides a good starting point as well as comprehensive search and filter functions to find a repository for research data. An overview of repositoriesExternal link is also available from the German Initiative for Network Information (DINI) (German)External link.

Digital Library of Thuringia (DBT)

The Thuringian State and University Library (ThULBExternal link) operates the Digital Library of Thuringia (DBT)External link as an institutional repository, allowing researchers to deposit their research data and to provide longterm access to it. This offer is intended for scientists who wish to archive their research data and cannot, or prefer not, to do so in domain specific repositories. This service is available free of charge to all researchers affiliated with a university in Thuringia.

Criteria for Selecting an Adequate Repository

The following criteriaExternal link should be considered when looking for an adequate repository:

• The long-term availability of the repository (if applicable through certifications) 
• The assignment of persistent identifiersExternal link (e.g. DOI, URN) to the data
• The licensesExternal link and rights of use for the data

In general, we advise to publish research data in discipline specific repositories. These typically possess more features (e.g. particular search functions), support the community's data standards and will be approached first by researchers looking for data in the field.