Data Publication and Discovery
MSU Library recommends that datasets be published in trustworthy data repositories, especially those that are commonly used in your discipline. Our research suggests that sharing data in a disciplinary repository promotes discovery and reuse of research data.
The library provides a search tool for datasets published by MSU researchers. Click the button below to explore MSU research datasets.
Recommended general repositories

General purpose repository appropriate for any type of data
Free to use - MSU Library membership
You need an ORCID to log into Dryad. For more information, please see submission guidelines
Non-profit organization
Provides lightweight data curation
See the Data Management Planning Toolkit for:
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- Cut-and-paste language describing how Dryad supports archiving & preservation of access and data access & sharing.
- ReadMe file template

Data repository specializing in qualitative data
Free to use - MSU Library membership
Register for an account with your montana.edu email address to deposit data.
Curation services support responsible qualitative data sharing
See the Data Management Planning Toolkit for:
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- Cut-and-paste language describing how QDR supports archiving & preservation of access and data access & sharing.
- ReadMe file template

General purpose repository appropriate for any type of data
Hosted by CERN
No data curation services
Free to publish data - for all users
Integrates with Github
See the Data Management Planning Toolkit for:
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- Cut-and-paste language describing how Zenodo supports archiving & preservation of access and data access & sharing.
- ReadMe file template

Social science data repository
Especially recommended for sensitive data that requires restricted access
Hosted by the University of Michigan
ICPSR provides in-depth, fee-based curation and publication services
Depending on level of curation, cost is often $3000-$8000.
Contact deposit@icpsr.umich.edu for an exact cost estimate.
See the Data Management Planning Toolkit for:
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- Cut-and-paste language describing how ICPSR supports archiving & preservation of access and data access & sharing.
- ReadMe file template
Recommended disciplinary repositories
Guidelines for Citing Published Data
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When using any published dataset, include a full citation in the reference list:
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Smith K & Jones D (2016) Bison Observations in Yellowstone National Park [dataset]. Dryad. http://doi.org/10.12345/XXXXX
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For data that underlies a published article, we also recommend including a data availability statement in the article text, in addition to the full citation:
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Data available from Dryad, http://doi.org/10.12345/XXXXX
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Contact us with questions.