Databases of the week
Week 39
Re3data: Extended register of research data repositories
Re3data is a register of research data repositories from various research disciplines. The register was founded in 2012 by German Research Foundation (DFG). This register is mainly intended for researchers and their supporting staff.
The register has two functions.
First, it is a tool for researchers to choose the most suitable repository for their own research data. Second, the register plays the role of a database in which researchers can find and relevant datasets for reuse in their own research projects.
You can easily search in the register by using keywords. Then you can refine your search with many different filters. When you search for a relevant dataset, the filters such as topics, countries, keywords or types of access will be relevant. If you are looking for a suitable repository for your own dataset, then – in addition to these filters – others also become important, such as certificates, metadata standards and restrictions for depositing data. Moreover, you can browse the collection with three different functions: subject, content type and countries. The browsing function is interactive and visually appealing.
The repositories included in the register must meet a number of criteria, including permanent storage and access to the data. Assessing the repository is easy because of six icons that are assigned to every single dataset.
These icons indicate the presence of the following criteria:
- information about additional services provided by the repository
- free access to the data (Open Access)
- licenses and terms of use
- persistent identifier
- certificate
- repository’s policy.
The register contains for example 28 datasets on artificial intelligence from 17 different countries and almost 500 datasets from social sciences, of which 388 are publicly accessible. You may also want to learn about the repositories run by 77 Dutch institutions.