Submission and publication process

Data publishing includes describing and organizing your data in a way that makes it accessible and reusable to researchers. For an overview see our Quick Start to Data Sharing. Dryad’s process is outlined here, including links to our Frequently Asked Questions with information on particular topics and recommendations for good data practices. If you need further assistance, please contact us at help@datadryad.org.

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

Login

Dryad requires an ORCID ID for login. If you do not have an ORCID, you will have the opportunity to create a free, unique, identifier for yourself at the login page. Dryad uses ORCID so that we can authenticate and identify each individual researcher regardless of your route of entry to Dryad (i.e. through the website, through the API, through a journal integration, etc.). When datasets are published, they should appear in your ORCID profile along with articles and other works.

For institutional members, we require a second form of authentication at login for campus single-sign-on. After you have logged in with your institutional credentials, Dryad ties together your ORCID and institutional affiliation so that you will not have to include this information a second time.

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

Uploading your data

Describe your dataset

You will first be asked to enter metadata (information about your data). Check out our tips for complete and comprehensive metadata. When you upload data files, ensure that they meet our file requirements and are able to be opened, they do not contain sensitive information, and do not have licensing conflicts with CC0.

Our duplicate submission detector will scan the first four words of the dataset title and, if those words match an existing dataset linked to the same submitting author, a pop-up will appear on the final page of the submission form to warn of a potential identical submission. If there is no risk of duplication, you can bypass the warning and proceed to submit.

Upload files

Dryad is a platform for the raw, unprocessed data that were used to support the conclusions presented in your article. We have partnered with Zenodo to host software files and supplemental information uploaded to our site. Because non-data files are not always compatible with the CC0 license required by Dryad, submitters will have the opportunity to choose a separate license for their code at the final stage of the submission process. All files uploaded as "Supplemental Information" will be licensed under CCBY.

The “Data” category should include your primary, underlying data that has not been processed for use. Common file types include .csv, .xlsx, .txt and compressed file archives: TAR.GZ, 7Z, ZIP.

We require that a README file is uploaded to this category to clearly define all variables, across all data files contained within the submission. The file name must begin with “README” in all caps (i.e. README_file.md). For guidance, please use our README template to ensure all necessary information is included.

The “Software” category is reserved for code packages (.R files, Python scripts, etc.) that outline all steps in processing and analyzing your data, ensuring reproducibility. Files uploaded to this category will be evaluated and hosted by Zenodo. Because non-data files are not always compatible with the CC0 license required by Dryad, you will have the opportunity to choose a separate license for your code at the final stage of the submission process

The “Supplemental information” can include figures, supporting tables, appendices, etc. related to your research article. Please do not upload supplementary material already present within the manuscript that will appear in the published article.

For more information about our Zenodo integration check out our FAQ.

Tabular data validator

For all data files uploaded to Dryad in CSV, XLS, XLSX formats (5MB or less), a report will be automatically generated by our tabular data validator, an integration with the Frictionless python tool. This integration allows for automated data validation, focused on the format and structure of tabular data files, prior to our curation services.

If any issues are identified, a window with instructions will appear on the "Upload files" page and a link to a detailed report will be provided in the "Tabular data check" column. The report will help guide you in locating and evaluating errors in your tabular data. Any files flagged in the report will need to be removed, edited, and reuploaded prior to proceeding with the submission process.

If your files have been accessed and are acceptable, "Passed" will appear in the "Tabular data check" column and no report will be generated. If your files have not been checked by the validator due to size or type, the "Tabular data check" column will be empty. In either scenario, no changes will be required and you may proceed with the submission process.

If you have questions or require assistance, contact help@datadryad.org.

Learn more about the Frictionless Data project at the Open Knowledge Foundation.

Review and submit

On the final page of the submission form, you’ll have the opportunity to review that your metadata is correct and check the required acknowledgments to confirm payment of the data publication charge.

If you are affiliated with a member institution or your related article is associated with a sponsoring journal title, the option to select the acknowledgment will not be available and a statement below will appear to confirm who is sponsoring the data publication charge.

If you prefer that your data remain private during the peer review process, select Private for peer review on the final page of the submission form. While in this status, your submission will not enter our curation process or publish until the checkbox for this option is deselected or you contact us to update the status of your submission.

If you have questions or require assistance, contact help@datadryad.org.

Dataset curation

We will review your data ensuring it meets our curation requirements. If we have questions we’ll get in touch with you. For more information check out our FAQ.

Dataset publication

Once your submission has been reviewed and approved by our team of curators, you will receive a notification of publication via email and your dataset will be made publicly available. The DOI provided to you upon submission will remain unchanged.

If the data publication charge is not covered by a journal, your institution, or if you are not eligible for a fee waiver, an invoice will be generated and sent upon publication.

Datasets can be updated via your Dryad dashboard. Please note, any edits made will create a new version of your submission. Only the most recent version of your dataset will be packaged and available for download via the ‘Download dataset’ button.