The Ohio State University Libraries is now an institutional member of the Qualitative Data Repository (QDR).
QDR is a dedicated archive for preserving and sharing digital data and accompanying documentation generated or collected through qualitative and multi-method research in the social sciences and related disciplines. Institutional membership to QDR provides researchers at Ohio State access to curation and archiving services for qualitative data at no cost and access to member-only events. Institutional members also shape QDR by participating in its governance.
“Access to the data underlying research promotes transparency and public trust in science,” said Kelsey Badger, Ohio State’s research data librarian. “It also accelerates new research findings by enabling data to be re-used and combined in novel ways. In recognition of these important principles, many federal funding agencies now require researchers to make data publicly available.”
Ohio State already supports the public sharing of quantitative research data through University Libraries’ institutional membership to the open access Dryad Data Repository. The Dryad Data Repository membership allows researchers to archive their quantitative data for free, including a citable digital object identifier (DOI) and expert review that ensures the data is well-documented and easy to discover online. Libraries’ new membership to QDR extends these same benefits to the needs of qualitative researchers, whose data often requires additional security and access controls to protect participant privacy.
“National and global infrastructure for data is constantly evolving,” continued Badger. “University Libraries is working to provide multiple pathways for Ohio State researchers to comply with funder mandates and advance the ideals of open science. The addition of QDR membership will allow more researchers to share their data with confidence and accelerate the pace of scientific discovery.”
For more information about University Libraries’ institutional QDR membership or to gain authorization for project submission, contact Kelsey Badger.