Data are information in its raw form and research data are the basis of every research project and paper. Open data can be freely used, re-used and shared by anyone to create and inform new research as long as the source is acknowledged.
Some data are published with journal articles, in publisher archives or in funder archives. There is no single place to discover research data. There are aggregators that help and significant data repositories that you can search. Here are some of the most useful.
Search engines and aggregators
Re3Data is a database of data repositories. It does not locate datasets but allows you to identify relevant data collections. Browse by subject or search using your literature review search terms.
Google dataset search: like any Google search this looks for any data anywhere. Not all the results will be for open data but you can find links to other projects and publications which may be useful to your research.
Data archives
Open science framework is a free open platform for scholars to share their research and collaborate. Enter your search terms to find projects.
Figshare launched in 2011 as a data repository (it now also now contains other research materials). Enter your terms in the search box on the home page, then use the filters on the left side of the results page to narrow to data set. You can also use these filters to select reusability through the licence choice, to narrow subject range and so on.
UK Data archive contains datasets created by research funded by ESRC but covering a wide range of subjects, methodologies and data types.
Zenodo was built with European funding and hosts European Commission funded research. Search with your keywords and narrow down using the filters on the left hand side.
Subject specific archives
Look at our library subject resource guides for information about subject data archives.
Data accompanying research articles
In STEM disciplines it has become customary to publish data alongside research articles. This could be as supplementary files with the published journal article or as links from the article. Articles in key journals like Nature, include data availability statements and links to data sets as well as data in supplementary files. Check the articles discovered in your literature review for associated data that you can re-use.
Using Open data
Always cite the
data source and creator. Most referencing styles include a standard format for
referencing data, use Cite them right to see how to do this. The UK Data
Service provides advice
on how to cite data.
Check the licence
associated with the data you find to see how you can use it. Check the copyright guidance to understand the licence terms.
Help
If you need more help, email researchsupport@kent.ac.uk and take a look at our blog post about finding Open data.
More about Open Access at Kent
Find out all the ways you can get in touch: