re3data.org, the Registry of Research Data Repositories, is a comprehensive, global registry that covers research data repositories (RDRs) from all academic disciplines. It was launched in 2012 as an open science tool, providing a systematic overview of the heterogeneous RDR landscape.
Product Overview and Key Benefits
The service is free of charge and aims to promote a culture of sharing, increased access, and better visibility of research data. It helps researchers, funding organizations, libraries, and publishers identify suitable repositories for the permanent storage and access of data sets. As of 2023, the registry lists over 3000 research data repositories.
Main Features and Capabilities
- Comprehensive Indexing: Repositories are described in detail using the comprehensive re3data.org schema.
- Icon System: An icon system allows users to quickly identify key characteristics of a repository, such as access conditions (open, restricted, closed), persistent identifiers (DOI, URN, ARK, handle, Purl), and data licenses.
- Advanced Search & Filtering: Users can search and filter repositories by certification, metadata standards, and over two dozen facets, including scientific discipline.
- Open Access: All metadata in the registry is shared as open data without restriction under the Creative Commons deed CC0, and the website content is licensed under CC-BY.
- Open API: An open application programming interface (API), including a RESTful interface and OpenSearch, is provided to encourage sharing and integration with other tools and services like DataCite.
Target Users and Use Cases
- Researchers: To find the most appropriate and impactful repositories to deposit their data (e.g., experimental, clinical trial data, software source code) and to discover existing datasets.
- Funders and Publishers: To guide investigators and authors to repositories that meet their requirements for sharing data that support grant-funded research and publications.
- Librarians and Teachers: To help patrons and students locate data repositories to support their teaching, learning, and research, and to promote data literacy.