What is Dryad (datadryad.org)?

Updated

Dryad is a nonprofit, community-led data publishing and preservation platform where researchers in any field can upload data files in any format and receive a citable DOI. It is designed for researchers who need to make research data publicly available—whether or not the data are tied to a published article—and who want their files checked by curators before release. Institutions, publishers, and academic societies can also partner with Dryad to sponsor data curation, publishing, and preservation for their researchers.

How Dryad works

The submission process follows four steps:

  1. Log in — Use your ORCiD. If your institution is a Dryad partner, you can connect through your existing credentials.
  2. Submit — Upload your data files, whether or not they relate to an article, and receive a citable DOI.
  3. Review — Dryad curators check your submission to ensure the data are usable. They may contact you with advice or questions.
  4. Cite — Cite and promote your data publication.

Why researchers use Dryad

  • Any field, any format — Submit data in any file format from any research area, and share all data from a project in one place.
  • Quality control and assistance — Curators check files before release and help you follow best practices.
  • Straightforward compliance — Submitting to Dryad helps satisfy publisher and funder requirements for preservation and availability. Dryad works directly with publishers including Wiley, The Royal Society, and PLOS to streamline the process.
  • Community-led — Dryad is a nonprofit membership organization committed to making data available for research and educational reuse now and into the future.

Cost and sustainability

Dryad notes that "Modest Data Publishing Charges help ensure our sustainability." The site does not specify exact fees on the page referenced here, so check Dryad's current pricing information before submitting if cost is a deciding factor.

Who partners with Dryad

Institutions, publishers, and academic societies partner with Dryad to sponsor data curation, publishing, and preservation for researchers. If your institution is a partner, you may be able to log in with existing credentials rather than creating separate ones.

When Dryad is a good fit

Dryad suits you if you need a citable DOI for your dataset, want curator review before public release, or must comply with a publisher's or funder's data availability requirements. If your data are already deposited in a discipline-specific repository with its own review and citation process, compare that repository's requirements against Dryad's before deciding where to submit.