Repository Collections
A repository is a structured digital platform for storing, documenting, preserving, and sharing research data or publications, ensuring they remain accessible, citable, and reusable over time.
Researchers can use registry services to search for trusted repositories by discipline, data type, certification status, or funder requirements, helping them identify an appropriate place to deposit their data.
| Resource | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Registry of Research Data Repositories (re3data) | Global registry of research data repositories across various subject-specific disciplines. For researchers, this resource is a starting point for finding repositories that may contain relevant searchable data and for depositing their research data. | https://www.re3data.org/ |
| FAIRsharing | Manually curated searchable registry for data and metadata standards, linked to repositories and data policies. It is focused on life sciences, environmental sciences, biosciences and medical sciences. | https://fairsharing.org/ |
| DataCite Repository Finder | DataCite Commons indexes datasets registered with a DOI with DataCite, CrossRef, or one of six other scholarly DOI agencies. DataCite links the repository to information in re3data. | https://repositoryfinder.datacite.org/ |
Publishing Your Data
Research data can be published as stand-alone datasets, alongside a paper, or with a dedicated data paper that describes collection methods, quality, and usage limitations. Publishing data improves reproducibility and can increase citations — studies show papers with linked datasets are cited more frequently. Journals like Scientific Data (Nature) specialize in peer-reviewed data papers that give datasets the same scholarly recognition as traditional publications.
Repository Options
mediaTUM is TUM's institutional media and publication server. It provides DOI assignment, long-term archiving, and integration with TUM's research information system. Use mediaTUM when you want your data linked to TUM's institutional identity or when other repositories don't fulfill all your needs.
Zenodo is a general-purpose open repository hosted by CERN, open to all research disciplines. It offers free DOI assignment, versioning, GitHub integration, and flexible licensing. Zenodo is ideal for sharing data openly with the global community, especially when no discipline-specific repository exists or when collaborating across institutions.
Legal aspects (data protection, licensing) should be considered before any publication.
Further information:
Finding & Reusing Data
Before collecting new data, check whether suitable datasets already exist. Key discovery tools include:
- Search engines: DataCite Commons, BASE, OpenAIRE Explore
- Discipline-specific repositories: Use re3data to find repositories in your field
- Data journals: Peer-reviewed data papers often link to quality-checked datasets
When reusing data, always verify documentation quality, check licensing terms, and cite the dataset properly.
Further information: TUM Research Data Hub — Reuse Data