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Data repository selection criteria: EUA and partners call for response from publishers


01 April 2021

Open science requires a sustainable, trustworthy and comprehensive network of repositories that can support researchers around the world in managing, sharing and preserving their data. Strengthening and expanding on the existing repository ecosystem and encouraging the adoption of good practices are key dimensions in that respect.


This explains why stakeholders from the research community have reacted toData Repository Selection: Criteria that Matter”, which were developed by a group of publishers facilitated by the FAIRsharing initiative. Concerns address the over restrictive nature of the proposed set of criteria and the lack of transparency in the process through which the criteria were developed. In a statement, EUA already highlighted that researchers must have a real choice about using community-managed institutional, national, domain or generalist data repositories.

Noting that this growing concern was followed by silence from publishers, EUA together with COAR, Core TrustSeal, Science Europe and the World Data System, supported by other organisations, present this joint statement. The statement reiterates the community’s concerns, recalls that publishers’ guidance to support researchers selecting a repository should not substitute or conflict with guidance already available to researchers from their institutions, disciplinary communities, and/or funders. The statement also requests that the group of publishers respond with concrete actions.

EUA calls for a transparent process to co-design selection criteria with the academic and repository community. The Association looks forward to an open dialogue with all parties, to identify existing infrastructures and their benefits, and guide researchers to the venues that suit their research needs, community practices, funder or institutional policies, or national legislation.

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