An effective way to make your data accessible is to store it in a repository. A repository can refer to any storage service that offers a mechanism for managing and storing digital content, where users can upload and download their data, and make it accessible and discoverable. 

To make your data/supplements available, first make sure that they are properly organized and labeled, and then simply upload your data/supplements to a data repository. You can:

• Upload your data/supplements to the UVA data repository LibraData. And/or,
• Choose an alternative data repository. See below for a list of available repositories. 

General considerations when deciding where to deposit your data

• What are your data sharing goals?
• Cost
• Is the repository appropriate for the type of data molecular structure, genomic data,etc.)?
• Is it a general or discipline-specific repository?
• Is the depository recommended by the publisher or funder?  If you are submitting your supplemental data in a journal article, you should check for the journal's data policy and data repositories specified therein
• Is the repository recognized within the research field?
• Who is the repository’s audience?
• Does the repository provide a Digitial Object Identifier (DOI)?
• Can the data be cited?
• Will it be easy to find? Does it use metadata?
• Does the repository permit download and re-use of data?

Help

Repository Directories and Lists

UVA Data Repositories

• LibraData (UVA’s data repository)

You can deposit your data in UVA's data repository, LibraData, and also in a generalist or discipline-based repository (see below). 

NIH-affiliated Repositories

In general, NIH does not endorse any particular repository. Overall, NIH encourages researchers to select the repository that is most appropriate for their data type and discipline. This list of NIH-supported repositories provides examples of suitable repositories.

General Data Repositories 

These Generalist Repository Ecosystem Initiative (GREI) includes six established generalist repositories that will work together to establish consistent metadata, develop use cases for data sharing, train and educate researchers on FAIR data and the importance of data sharing, and more:

• Dryad - well-established repository led by a nonprofit organization that (note there are Data Publishing Charges)
• Dataverse - note that UVA's respository, LibraData, is a Dataverse
• Figshare - upload any file format; accepts scholarly output including figures, datasets, media, papers, posters, presentations and filesets 
• Mendeley Data - a free cloud-based service run by Elsevier
• Open Science Framework
• Vivli - a clinical research data sharing platform
• Zenodo - a free cloud-based service based on the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN's) data repository platform