Frequently Asked Questions

What types of data does Dryad accept?

Dryad accepts all research data. However, this service is intended for complete, re-usable, open research datasets.

Most types of files can be submitted (e.g., text, spreadsheets, video, photographs, code) including compressed archives of multiple files. View additional guidance on preservation-friendly file types.

• Dryad does not accept submissions that contain personally identifiable human subject information. Human subjects data must be properly anonymized and prepared under applicable legal and ethical guidelines. Please see additional guidance on human subjects data.
• Dryad does not accept any files with licensing terms that are incompatible with the Creative Commons Zero waiver. For more information, please see Why Does Dryad Use CC0?
• While Dryad can host software scripts and snapshots of software source code, we recommend the use of a public software repository with version control for the ongoing maintenance of software packages.

What are the size limits?

There is a limit of 300GB per data publication uploaded through the web interface. We can accept larger submissions, but the submitter needs to contact us for assistance.

How much does it cost?

Dryad supports our nonprofit mission by collecting a Data Publishing Charge (DPC) of $120US upon data publication, unless there is a sponsor or fee waiver in place. Additional charges may apply to submissions in excess of 50GB. See fee details.

There is no cost to access Dryad's contents.

Does the data have to be associated with a publication?

No. We encourage and accept quality research data to be published and preserved, regardless of whether they are associated with a journal article, book chapter, or other publication.

How should I prepare my data before submitting?

First, be sure that your data is appropriate for sharing openly in the public domain. Check for any issues related to human subjects privacy, endangered species, or copyright/ownership.

Providing well-documented data in a community-accepted format encourages others to reuse and cite your work. Please consider factors such as file format, naming scheme and organization, as laid out in our best practices for creating reusable data publications.

When should I submit my data?

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

• Journals that are integrated with Dryad have specific requirements. Look up your journal to determine the proper workflow.
• 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.
• If a delayed-release data embargo is allowed by your journal, you may request that (help@datadryad.org) at the time of submission.
• Regardless of journal, you may choose to make your data temporarily "private for peer review."

What happens after I submit my data?

Dryad is a curated repository. We perform basic checks on each submission (can the files be opened? are they free of copyright restrictions? do they appear to be free of sensitive data?). If our curators have questions or suggestions about your submission, they will contact you directly. Otherwise you will be notified when your dataset is approved.

If your data submission is "private for peer review," it will not be processed by our curators until the associated manuscript is accepted.

Upon curator approval, the Dryad DOI is officially registered and, if applicable, the Data Publishing Charge (DPC) and any overage fees are invoiced.

After data publication, if you have edits, additional files, or subsequent related work we recommend versioning your data by using the "update" link. All versions of a dataset will be accessible, but the dataset DOI will always resolve to the newest version.

How are the datasets discoverable?

All datasets will be indexed by the Thomson-Reuters Data Citation Index, Scopus, and Google Dataset Search. Each dataset is given a unique Digital Object Identifier or DOI. Entering the DOI URL in any browser will take the user to the dataset's landing page. Dryad also provides a faceted search and browse capability for direct discovery.

Dryad has implemented the Make Data Count (https://makedatacount.org) project recommendations. This means that that views and downloads on each dataset landing page are standardized against the COUNTER Code of Practice for Research Data. Within this framework, Dryad also exposes all related citations to a dataset on the landing page. These are updated each time a new citation from an article or other source has been published.

Ways you can ensure your data publication has the broadest reach:

• Comprehensive documentation (i.e. metadata) is the key for dicoverability as well as ensuring future researchers understand the data. Without thorough metadata (description of the context of the data file, the context in which the data were collected, the measurements that were made, and the quality of the data), the data cannot be found through internet searches or data indexing services, understood by fellow researchers, or effectively used. We require a few key pieces of metadata. Additional information can be included in the “Usage Notes” section of the description, or as a separate readme.txt file archived alongside the dataset files. The metadata entry form is based on fields from the DataCite schema and is broadly applicable to data from any field.
• Cite and publicize your data publication with your given DOI. The recommended citation format appears on your dataset landing page.

How are the datasets preserved?

Data deposited are permanently archived and available through the California Digital Library's Merritt Repository. For a full description of the services provided by Merritt, see this document: UC3, Merritt, and Long-term preservation.

Preservation policy details include:

• Retention period: Items will be retained indefinitely
• Functional preservation: We make no promises of usability and understandability of deposited objects over time.
• File preservation: Data files are replicated with multiple copies in multiple geographic locations; metadata are backed up on a nightly basis.
• Fixity and authenticity: All data files are stored along with a SHA-256 checksum of the file content. Regular checks of files against their checksums are made. The audit process cycles continually, with a current cycle time of approximately two months.
• Succession plans: In case of closure of the repository, reasonable efforts will be made to integrate all content into suitable alternative institutional and/or subject based repositories.

Can I delete my data?

Data deposited in Dryad is intended to remain permanently archived and available. Removal of a deposited dataset is considered an exceptional action which should be requested and fully justified by the original contributor (e.g., if there are concerns over privacy or data ownership). To request the withdrawal of data from Dryad, contact help@datadryad.org.