Data Management

There are several reasons to share your data:

• To further science as a whole
• To further your own research
• To enable new discoveries by other researchers using your data
• To comply with funder and/or publisher requirements

Repositories have some real advantages, especially when considering NSF requirements.  Repositories can:

• Provide a metadata structure for you to fill in.
• Publish the data for you by giving your dataset a unique identifier (like a DOI).
• Serve as a way to backup your data and preserve it for the future.
• Make data sharing easier.
• Allow others to cite your research more often.
• Provide computational tools to assist people with using your data.

A domain-specific repository has some advantages too, including:

• Your data will stored with similar datasets - it's a one stop shopping place
• Researchers will find your data easily - they are there specifically to find data in your field
• The repository will understand what your data needs in terms of storage, archiving and preservation - they are data specialists
• Computational tools may be developed to crunch a critical mass of data of a certain kind