Publishing and reusing open data
Overview and instructions to services for sharing and publishing research data.
Step I. Prepare data for publishing
Start preparing your dataset by choosing what data to publish. This could include:
Typical types of data are:
Before releasing your research data openly, make sure it is not subject to legal restrictions, such as privacy protection. Whenever in doubt, contact researchdata@aalto.fi. Reasons not to openly disseminate your data set include:
Step II. Upload your data to repository
We recommend publishing your data in scientific data journals or in reliable discipline-specific repositories, if such are available in your research community. In other cases, we recommend as a general-purpose data repository. Here’s a more detailed list of options:
Scientific data journals
Discipline-specific data repositories
General-purpose data repositories
General-purpose repositories are not limited to any domain or discipline, but they accept any kind of research data. We recommend Zenodo as a general-purpose repository. Below are service descriptions for three repositories:
Once the dataset is prepared, it is time to upload it to the repository. From the repository, your dataset will get a unique, persistent identifier (DOI, URN or similar), making it findable and most importantly citable.
To make your dataset understandable enough for reuse, write a good description for it to the repository.
In the process of uploading the dataset to the repository, you will also need to choose the license for your data set. Creative Commons licenses are standard to define the terms of use for published datasets.
Step III. Make your dataset known
The best way to make your dataset known is to include a link to the dataset in the publication where this data was used. To achieve this please follow this process:
After you publish your dataset, please send the link or a dataset identifier toresearchdata@aalto.fi. Your dataset will be registered in Aalto Current Research Information System (ACRIS) for you.
Examples of datasets from different disciplines which are published in trusted repositories and have a detailed description
Follow these links to navigate through research data management instructions.
Overview and instructions to services for sharing and publishing research data.
Aalto University offers comprehensive services, guidance, and support to help you manage your data efficiently. Explore our collection of resources and external links to boost your research.