Scientific Data mandates the release of datasets accompanying our Data Descriptors, but we do not ourselves host data. Instead, we ask authors to submit datasets to an appropriate public data repository. Data should be submitted to discipline-specific, community-recognized repositories where possible. Where a suitable discipline-specific resource does not exist, data should be submitted to a generalist repository.

Repositories for primary data deposition listed on this page meet our requirements for data access, preservation, resource stability, and suitability for use by all researchers with the appropriate types of data. This list is intended as a guide to suitable repositories for those who are unsure where to deposit their data. Please be aware, however, that some repositories on this page may charge for hosting data.

Authors must deposit their data to a data repository as part of the manuscript submission process; manuscripts will not otherwise be sent for review. If data have not been deposited to a repository prior to manuscript submission, authors can upload their data to figshare or the Dryad Digital Repository during the submission process. Data may also be deposited to these resources temporarily, if the main host repository does not support confidential peer review.

We provide an archive of our recommended repository list, which is available for use under the CC-BY licence. Recommended repositories and standards that are indexed by FAIRsharing can also be viewed and filtered via the Scientific Data FAIRsharing collection.

View data repositories

• Biological sciences: Nucleic acid sequence; Protein sequence; Molecular & supramolecular structure; Neuroscience; Omics; Taxonomy & species diversity; Mathematical & modelling resources; Cytometry and Immunology; Imaging; Organism-focused resources
• Health sciences
• Chemistry and Chemical biology
• Earth, Environmental and Space sciences: Broad scope Earth & environmental sciences; Astronomy & planetary sciences; Biogeochemistry and Geochemistry; Climate sciences; Ecology; Geomagnetism & Palaeomagnetism; Ocean sciences; Solid Earth sciences
• Physics
• Materials science
• Social sciences
• Generalist repositories

Biological sciences ⤴

Nucleic acid sequence ⤴

Nucleic acid sequence data must be deposited to repositories which are part of the International Nucleotide Sequence Collaboration (INSDC). Sequence information should be deposited following the MIxS guidelines, with associated metadata being INSDC compatible.

Simple genetic polymorphisms or structural variations should be submitted to dbSNP or dbVar (please note that these repositories cannot accept sensitive data derived from human subjects); the NCBI Trace Archive may be used for capillary electrophoresis data, while SRA accepts NGS data only.

Protein sequence ⤴

Molecular & supramolecular structure ⤴

These repositories accept structural data for small molecules (COD); peptides and proteins (all); and larger assemblies (EMDB).

Small molecule crystallographic data should be uploaded to Dryad or figshare before manuscript submission, and should include a .cif file, a structural figure with probability ellipsoids, and structure factors for each structure. Both the structure factors and the structural output must have been checked using the IUCR's CheckCIF routine, and a copy of the output must be included at submission, together with a justification for any alerts reported.

Neuroscience ⤴

These data repositories all accept human-derived data (NeuroMorpho.org and G-Node also accept data from other organisms). Please note that human-subject data submitted to OpenfMRI must be de-identified.

Omics ⤴

Functional genomics

Functional genomics is a broad experimental category, and Scientific Data's recommendations in this discipline likewise bridge disparate research disciplines. Data should be deposited following the relevant community requirements where possible.

Please refer to the MIAME standard for microarray data. Molecular interaction data should be deposited with a member of the International Molecular Exchange Consortium (IMEx), following the MIMIx recommendations.

For data linking genotyping and phenotyping information in human subjects, we strongly recommend submission to dbGAP, EGA or JGA, which have mechanisms in place to handle sensitive data.

Metabolomics & Proteomics

Metabolomics data should be submitted following the MSI guidelines.

We ask authors to submit proteomics data to members of the ProteomeXchange consortium (listed below), following the MIAPE recommendations.

Taxonomy & species diversity ⤴

Mathematical & modelling resources ⤴

Cytometry and Immunology ⤴

Imaging ⤴

Organism-focused resources ⤴

These resources provide information specific to a particular organism or disease pathogen. They may accept phenotype information, sequences, genome annotations and gene expression patterns, among other types of data. Incorporating data into these resources can be very valuable for promoting reuse within these specific communities; however, where applicable, we ask that data records be submitted both to a community repository and to one suitable for the type of data (e.g. transcriptome profiling; please see above).

Health sciences ⤴

Some of the repositories in this section are suitable for datasets requiring restricted data access, which may be required for the preservation of study participant anonymity in clinical datasets. We suggest contacting repositories directly to determine those with data access controls best suited to the specific requirements of your study.

Chemistry and Chemical biology ⤴

Earth, Environmental and Space sciences ⤴

Broad scope Earth & environmental sciences ⤴

Astronomy & planetary sciences ⤴

Biogeochemistry and Geochemistry ⤴

Climate sciences ⤴

Ecology ⤴

Geomagnetism & Palaeomagnetism ⤴

Ocean sciences ⤴

Solid Earth sciences ⤴

Physics ⤴

Materials science ⤴

Social sciences ⤴

Generalist repositories ⤴

Scientific Data encourages authors to archive data to one of the above data-type specific repositories where possible. Where a data-type specific repository is not available, the following generalist repositories might be suitable. Generalist repositories may also be appropriate for archiving associated analyses, or experimental-control data, supplementing the primary data in a discipline-specific repository.

The generalist repositories listed below are able to accept data from all researchers, regardless of location or funding source. If your institution has its own generalist data repository this can be used to host your data as long as the repository is able to mint DataCite DOIs, and allows data to be shared under open terms of use (for example the CC0 waiver). Please note that if your chosen repository is unable to support confidential peer-review, you will be asked to temporarily deposit a copy of the dataset to one of our integrated generalist repositories to facilitate review of your article. Upon completion of peer review, the temporary copy will be erased. To use a repository which does not appear in the manuscript submission system, select 'DataCite DOI' as the repository name during the submission process.

 

* Curated resource which may not accept direct submission of data. Contact the database directly for further information.