The Registry of Research Data Repositories re3data.org is a major directory [1] of research data repositories across all disciplines worldwide and makes metadata on repositories for the permanent storage and access of data sets openly available according to re3data’s Metadata Schema Version 4.0. It is widely used by researchers to identify repositories to find and deposit data. Funders and publishers recommend re3data to guide investigators and authors to repositories to meet their requirements for sharing the data that support grant-funded research and publications. [2], [3] Librarians and lecturers use re3data to promote data literacy. [4], [5], [6] Other service providers such as DataCite and OpenAIRE integrate with the registry to feed information about data repositories into scholarly workflows. As such, it plays a key role in fostering data accessibility, preservation, interoperability, and reuse. The registry acts as a reference point for repository metadata, providing a comprehensive overview of the landscape. [7], [8], [9] Similarly, it allows for analysing and monitoring developments within the repository landscape. Curating the repository information is therefore crucial and contributes to high standards in data management, follows the FAIR principles and promotes a culture of open science.

Due to the broad uptake by the community and participation of institutions across the German research landscape, a collaboration of the NFDI with re3data offers a unique opportunity to comprehensively map repository information that is important for researchers. The high-quality, comprehensive, and up-to-date records will inform decisions on where to store research data, depending on the needs and requirements. Additionally, it improves the exposure of research data infrastructures of the NFDI, including the data generated, to the international research community.

To organize this community effort to curate the repository data, the Taskforce Metadata from the Section (Meta)data, Termino­­lo­gies, Provenance of the NFDI aims to develop and propose an NFDI standard driven by the community, which recommends NFDI-wide registration and at least annual curation of affiliated repositories in re3data. NFDI standards are agreements adopted by the assembly of consortia for the whole of the NFDI. By accepting and implementing an NFDI standard to use re3data as a directory of repositories and to actively maintain the information contained therein, the NFDI will contribute to accurate record information of NFDI-relevant and recommended repositories. It will also encourage repositories to adopt and document current practices and standards.

On the registry’s side, dedicated NFDI profiles can be set up easily. The profile property describes a set of repositories defined by a community. The NFDI consortia and communities will need to determine relevant criteria for recommended repositories.

To support the adoption of this NFDI standard, this submission will demonstrate the simplicity of the suggest and the update process of a repository record in the registry. We want to facilitate updates through the community via a guided process of submitting change requests for repositories affiliated with member institutions of the NFDI present at the conference. The detailed process will be illustrated on a poster and walked through by the presenters.

REMARK: This poster on community engagement in research data infrastructure was submitted and first presented at CoRDI 2025.

References

[1] M. Baglioni, G. Pavone, A. Mannocci, and P. Manghi, “Towards the interoperability of scholarly repository registries,” Int J Digit Libr, vol. 26, no. 1, p. 2, Mar. 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00799-025-00414-y.

[2] Volkswagenstiftung, “Data Reuse – Additional Funding for the Preparation and Storage of Research Data (Open Science).” Accessed: Apr. 14, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/en/funding/funding-offer/data-reuse-additional-funding-preparation-and-storage-research-data-open-science

[3] Springer Nature, “Springer Nature Research data policy - Data policy FAQs.” Accessed: Apr. 15, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.springernature.com/gp/authors/research-data-policy/data-policy-faqs

[4] C.-I. Pasteur, “Le répertoire d’entrepôts de données re3data,” Open science : évolutions, enjeux et pratiques. Accessed: Apr. 14, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://openscience.pasteur.fr/2023/09/13/le-repertoire-dentrepots-de-donnees-re3data/

[5] osguide, “Re3data | Open Economics Guide der ZBW.” Accessed: Apr. 14, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://openeconomics.zbw.eu/knowledgebase/re3data/

[6] R. D. Services, “LibGuides: Research Data Management: Repositories.” Accessed: Apr. 14, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://guides.library.ucsb.edu/data_management/repositories

[7] M. von der Heyde, “Open Research Data: Landscape and cost analysis of data repositories currently used by the Swiss research community, and requirements for the future,” Zenodo, May 2019. doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.2643460.

[8] K.T. Naheem and A. Ahmad. Mir, “Landscape of Research Data Repositories (RDRs) from Asian Countries: Insights from the re3data Registry,” Journal of Library Metadata, pp. 1–15, Mar. 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/19386389.2025.2482469.

[9] O. S. Buhomoli and O. B. Onyancha, “Mapping research data landscape in Africa using the Re3data and data citation Index,” Information Development, Sep. 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/02666669241284239.