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Select your Data Repository
How do I select a data repository?
When choosing a repository for your research data, consider what relevant disciplinary repositories or repository requirements have been mandated by your funding agencies or intended journal publications. If these do not apply, we recommend the University of Waterloo Dataverse in Borealis or the Federated Data Repository (FRDR).
If you would like to chat about selecting the best repository for your research data, book a consultation by emailing LibraryRDM@uwaterloo.ca
Recommended Canadian generalist repositories
- University of Waterloo Dataverse in Borealis
Multidisciplinary and bilingual research data repository, supported by academic libraries and research institutions across Canada.
- Federated Research Data Repository (FRDR)
General-purpose, bilingual Canadian repository custom built for large datasets, maintained by the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. Service includes professional data curators.
Deposit your data in the University of Waterloo Dataverse
What is the University of Waterloo Dataverse?
The University of Waterloo Dataverse is Waterloo’s institutionally managed and supported multidisciplinary research data repository within Borealis, The Canadian Dataverse Repository. The University of Waterloo Dataverse is available to researchers or research organizations and their collaborators who are affiliated with Waterloo.
Borealis supports open discovery, management, sharing, and preservation of bilingual and multidisciplinary Canadian research data Borealis software is based on The Dataverse Project, an open-source data repository application developed by the Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS) at Harvard University, with international contributors.
Borealis supports the deposit of individual file sizes up to 5GB. If you have files larger than 5GB, contact the RDM team to discuss options.
How do I deposit in the University of Waterloo Dataverse?
Step 1 Review Waterloo’s UWaterloo Borealis Data Deposit Guidelines before getting started.
Step 2 Prepare a README file for your deposit.
Step 3 Submit your deposit for review using the Quick Guide to Making a Borealis Deposit*. Deposited datasets are reviewed prior to publication by the RDM team. A RDM support ticket will be opened and sent to you within three business days. *A text based version of this document is available here: A Quick Guide for Depositing Data in UWaterloo Dataverse at Borealis (Accessible Text Version)
Data Repository Directories
How can I find lists of data repositories?
Data repository directories can help you find the right location to deposit your data or to locate research data. These online directories maintain lists of data sources and repositories for a variety of subject disciplines.
- re3data.org, The Registry of Research Data RepositoriesGlobal registry of research data repositories covering research data repositories from different academic disciplines.
- FAIRsharingGlobal registry of data and metadata standards, inter-related to databases and data policies.
- Nature - Recommended Data RepositoriesGuidance from Nature, the international journal of science, for recommended disciplinary and generalist repositories.
- PLOS - Recommended Data RepositoriesGuidance from PLOS for recommended disciplinary and generalist repositories.
List of Data Repositories
- **Coming soon** Canadian Peatland Data PortalA comprehensive data repository for peatland data across Canada, specifically related to carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Polar Data CatalogueThe Polar Data Catalogue is a repository of metadata and data that describes and provides access to diverse data sets generated by Arctic and Antarctic researchers.
- DryadGeneral-purpose repository for open and curated data. Service has publishing fees.
- FigshareGeneral-purpose repository, often used in partnership with PLOS publications.
- Open Science Framework (OSF)General-purpose repository maintained by the Center for Open Science with free and open-source tools. Service has collaborative features for contributors or coauthors on a project.
- ZenodoGeneral-purpose open repository developed under the European OpenAIRE program and operated by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
- PANGAEARepository for Earth and Environmental science, focused on georeferenced observational and experimental data.
- University of California Irvine Machine Learning RepositoryMachine learning repository which houses a collection of databases, domain theories, and data generators that are used by the machine learning community for the empirical analysis of machine learning algorithms.
- DatastreamDataStream provides researchers with a platform to deposit their water quality data in a standardized, easy-to-use format based on the Water Quality Exchange (WQX) standard. This ensures the data is more accessible, interpretable, and readily integrated for various applications, including reuse.
- ICPSR, the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social ResearchRepository for social science data, considered the world's largest archive for these disciplines.
- Qualitative Data Repository (QDR)Repository for storing and sharing digital data (and accompanying documentation) generated or collected through qualitative and multi-method research in the social sciences and related disciplines.