Submitting data

Before you begin a submission, please ensure your submission meets our requirements and follows good data practices.

Preparing your data

Data publishing includes describing and organizing your data in a way that makes it accessible and reusable. We recommend the use of good data practices, including descriptive names for file names and table headings, and a logical file organization.

Assemble all data files together. Where possible, data should be shared in an open file format so that proprietary software is not required to view or use the files.

• All files should be able to be opened without any passcode restrictions.
• All information needs to be in English.
• No Personal Health Information or sensitive data can be included. See tips for human subjects data and tips for sensitive species data.
• Files must not contain any copyright restrictions.

Timing your submission

Data may be submitted and published at any time. However, if your data is associated with a journal publication, there may be special considerations:

• If you received an invitation from a journal to submit data to Dryad, then that journal has integrated its submission process with Dryad. Please follow the instructions from the journal.
• Dryad usually does not grant short- or long-term embargoes of data, but we will consider requests in specific instances (i.e., graduate students publishing thesis data that they intend to use for other parts of their thesis/dissertation; media blackouts around a study). If you wish to embargo data beyond the publication date of the associated article, we require confirmation from the publishing journal. Please submit an embargo request to gro.dayrdatad@pleh at the time of submission.
• Regardless of journal, you may choose to make your data temporarily Private for Peer Review.

Create your submission

An average submission follows this process:

1. Initial submission

   Upload your data, complete metadata fields, and prepare a README file. Complete the checklist and carefully review the dataset before you pay and submit.

2. Private for Peer Review option

   If your dataset is associated with a manuscript under review, you can choose to keep the dataset private and use a temporary sharing link for peer review. The dataset can proceed to curation once the manuscript has been accepted.

3. Curation

   Our experienced data curators will thoroughly evaluate each dataset to ensure the completeness of metadata, documentation, and files, following FAIR principles.

4. Revisions

   Revise your dataset based on curator feedback.
   Don't hesitate to contact us with questions!

5. Publication

   After final review, our curators will approve and publish your dataset. Your DOI will become active, and your dataset will be searchable, citable, and reusable.

Ready to get started? Log in and go to "My datasets" to begin your data submission now!

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