Data sharing made easier with Repository Finder

Funders and publishers increasingly require research data to be made available in appropriate repositories. But deciding which repository to choose or what counts as an “appropriate repository” can take a long time. Repository Finder, online since September 2018, helps to make this decision.

With Repository Finder, you can search for research data repositories that accept research data for publication in accordance with the FAIR Data Principles. These repositories are characterized by support for free access to research data and the use of persistent identifiers (e.g., DOI Digital Object Identifier). With the Repository Finder search function, you can use keywords (for example, “earth sciences” or “hydrology”) to find repositories for your discipline.

Repository Finder uses data from re3data.org, the worldwide directory of research data repositories. For more information about Repository Finder, read this blog post.

The FAIR principles address the conditions for a better dissemination and reuse of research data. FAIR stands for

• Findability
• Accessibility
• Interoperability
• Reusability

The implementation of the FAIR principles for research data in the geosciences is driven by initiatives such as the “COPDESS Statement of Commitment from Earth and Space Science Publishers and Data Facilities” and the American Geophysical Union (AGU) project “Enabling FAIR Data in the Earth and Space Sciences“.