Researchers evaluating data repositories as the option(s) for storing and preserving their data should examine evidence demonstrating that the repository:

• Is free and easy access.
• Has clear use guidance.
• Promotes an explicit mission of digital data archiving.
• Has a documented plan for long-term preservation of its holdings.
• Has a retention policy.
• Has long-term organizational sustainability with contingency plans.
• Applies documented processes and procedures in archiving and managing data.
• Enables the users to discover and use the data.
• Uses unique persistent identifiers.
• Uses metadata with schemas that are widely used and appropriate to the data.
• Provides curation and quality assurance.
• Ensures broad and measured reuse and attribution.
• Allows datasets and metadata to be accessed and exported in widely used, non-proprietary formats.
• Records provenance and version control.
• Authenticates data submitters.
• Has long-term sustainability.
• Has documented security and integrity measures.
• Has risk management and safeguards in place.

These guidelines are based on requirements outlined in the USDOT Public Access Plan and Desirable Characteristics of Data Repositories for Federally Funded Research.

Locate Potential Data Repositories

A growing list of DOT-conformant data repositories is maintained on this site under Info for Repositories.
Researchers may use the Registry of Research Data Repositories' searchable listing of data repositories in the United States as a starting point to locate potential archiving options for their data.