University of Virginia’s data repository
LibraData is a place for UVA researchers to share data, software, and other products of research publicly, and is part of the Libra Scholarly Repository suite of services which includes works of UVA scholarship such as articles, books, theses, and dissertations. LibraData data repository is UVA's local instance of the Dataverse software, originally developed and used by Harvard University.
Why deposit data in LibraData?
- Ensures your data is FAIR
By depositing in LibraData you ensure that your data are managed and shared in ways that are consistent with the FAIR Guiding Principles (i.e., Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) (Wilkinson, et al., 2016). Depositing in LibraData fulfills the requirement of many funding agencies, that “data, to the greatest extent possible, be shared, open, and stored in FAIR-aligned repositories”. Each dataset in LibraData includes a machine-readable license describing how the data can be reused. Funding sources, associated publications, and other references can also be included in the metadata. - Increased visibility and impact of your research data
Sharing your data publicly can increase your research impact and visibility, creating additional opportunities for collaboration and connection within and beyond your existing network. To assist in the sharing process, a persistent identifier (DOI – Digital Object Identifier) is created for each LibraData dataset. All content in LibraData is indexed so that it is searchable through Virgo (the UVA Library catalog), across many Dataverse instances, and Google Dataset Search. - Fulfillment of journal and grant mandates
Most journals now require that the data underlying articles’ findings be made publicly available. Increasingly, public and private funding agencies are also requiring that researchers publicly share data created as part of the research process. Publishing your data within LibraData fulfills these requirements. See how LibraData aligns with Federal Funder agencies' desirable characteristics for data repositories (PDF). - Safe management of your data
Depositing your research data in LibraData not only makes your data discoverable and accessible to a wider audience, but also keeps your data safer. The UVA Library, and UVA’s Information Technology Services, are committed to the durability and sustainability of scholarship deposited in Libra. Libra uses standard data management practices, including security and backup procedures, to provide a reasonable assurance that files will remain retrievable over time. LibraData will be preserved in the Academic Preservation Trust, of which UVA Library is a founding member and partner. - LibraData is UVA’s local instance of the Dataverse software developed by Harvard. By depositing your data in LibraData, you have local support from a UVA librarian, including assistance with uploading data, creating metadata, and curating data for re-use.
LibraData is for publishable products of research. LibraData is a place for UVA researchers to publish research data for sharing publicly. If you are looking for a home for data in progress, consider using the Open Science Framework during the collaborative phase of your research - it integrates easily with instances of Dataverse repositories like LibraData to enable publishing of research products at the appropriate point in the research lifecycle. You can also deposit data into LibraData even if it’s already been made publicly available through another repository.
How can I find more information on using and depositing in LibraData?