Publishing research data means describing it in a general way and, when possible, making it openly available to others. In return, data become easier to share and cite, and are guaranteed to be preserved for the long term. Research data can be made available through a repository, where a copy of the data is preserved for the long term and made searchable through the repository’s catalog service.
Chalmers Data Office supports the publishing or sharing of data in all types of repositories. We offer particular support for publishing in the Swedish National Data Service (SND) and Zenodo. For more information about each repository, see below.
There are also subject-specific repositories available. re3Data.org is a global registry of digital repositories for research data from various academic disciplines.
When data is published via a repository (such as SND or Zenodo), it receives a unique identifier, most commonly a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). By providing published data with a known and sustainable identifier – typically a DOI – the data becomes more visible and accessible, while making it easier to cite the data.
Chalmers Data Office can also assist in creating DOIs for individual datasets or collections. What is required is that the data are published and accessible in a sustainable way, and that there is a plan for long-term maintenance.
Collaboration with the Swedish National Data Service
SND has the primary task of supporting the accessibility, preservation, and reuse of research data and related materials. Chalmers Data Office collaborates with SND to facilitate the sharing and citation of research data and is a local SND node in the SND network.
The SND network consists of Swedish universities and other research organizations that have agreed to create local nodes for research support units that handle research data. The main task of this unit is to assist researchers in their organization with making research data as accessible as possible, in accordance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). This includes offering researchers training and support on FAIR data management and accessibility, as well as publishing their metadata in SND’s national research data catalog (DORIS) and securely storing the data. For more information on SND and Researchdata.se, see here.
Citing Research Data
A DOI also makes it easier to cite research data. The practice of publishing and citing datasets provides recognition and rewards for those who produce the data. When you publish data, you make it available for replication and verification of your results, thus making your entire study more transparent.
Data is cited in the same way as other information sources, and a citation should include the author(s), title, publication year, version, data archive, and DOI, for example:
Barber, L.B., Weber, A.K., LeBlanc, D.R., Hull, R.B., Sunderland, E.M., and Vecitis, C.D., 2017, Poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances in contaminated groundwater, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2014-2015 (ver. 1.1, March 24, 2017): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7Z899KT.
