Repositories can offer stable methods of preservation as well as dynamic tools for research and scholarly communication, depending on what a user needs. There are a number of scholarly repository options available. When choosing a repository for your research, think about the following:
- Technical Specs
- Are there size limits?
- What types of materials can be uploaded?
- Cost
- Are there charges to use the repository?
- Discoverability
- Are there options for access (open, closed, restricted)? What is required for your project?
- How easy is it to find items in the repository?
- How about outside the repository?
- Other Considerations
- Is a persistent identifier (like a DOI) needed for your materials? Is that service offered?
- Is your project collaborative? Will others need to upload files or add notes to the collection?
- Is deposit with a specific repository required (e.g., as a condition of a grant or award)?
The Institutional Repository at the University of Florida (IR@UF)
The Institutional Repository at the University of Florida (IR@UF) brings together the scholarly, research, and creative works of our academic community. In addition to offering a central collection location for materials, the IR@UF provides long-term preservation, enables worldwide dissemination, and encourages the development of new projects and partnerships. All scholarly works – including articles (pre-prints, post-prints, or published articles as permitted by the publishing agreement), books, book chapters, conference presentations, data sets, digital research files, and more – are welcome in the IR@UF.
All UF faculty have automatic permissions to submit items to the IR@UF. Students and staff may need additional account permission to submit. Please contact Chelsea Johnston with questions.
General Repositories
General repositories can be helpful for researchers looking to collaborate among institutions, or who want to maintain their scholarship independently and without an institutional affiliation. Some options include Zenodo, Dryad, Figshare, and Humanities Commons.
Subject-Specific Repositories
Subject-specific repositories are an option if you want your work to be discoverable by a particular discipline. The Registry of Research Data Repositories is a great resource to explore options. You may also want to ask for recommendations from other researchers in your discipline, or check with your subject-specialist librarian.