Publish data

Funders, publishers and institutions increasingly expect researchers to publish their research data as openly as possible. This makes research more transparent, maximises impact and facilitates greater collaboration.

You can publish your data by using:

  • Discipline or publisher repositories
  • Opting for mediated access through a scheme such as HeSanda
  • Creating a record in catalogues as part of mediated access
  • Publishing data to Monash University's data repository Bridges

Our guiding principle is open where possible, closed where necessary.

Why open data matters

Publishing openly boosts research integrity, impact and accessibility. It can transform traditional approaches and support the development of new knowledge.

Publishing your data openly aligns with FAIR principles, a global movement advocating for open scholarship. FAIR stands for findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.

These principles are endorsed under Monash’s responsible research culture framework, alongside major funders including the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

Planning and considerations

It is not always possible to publish your data openly due to commercial sensitivities, privacy, confidentiality or consideration of Indigenous data sovereignty.

However, planning and considering the FAIR principles at the start of the project will help you avoid common roadblocks, and save time. Your research data management planning process will help this.

Publishing research data with reuse licences

When publishing research data, Monash researchers are encouraged to consider using open licences. Licences enable you to clearly indicate to others your ownership of the data, your wishes about the ways in which the data can be reused, and how you want to be attributed.

The most commonly used and recognised open licences are Creative Commons licenses. The six licenses allow for the reuse of your research under varying conditions, all of which require that you be attributed as the creator.

Before selecting a Creative Commons license it is important to first have a clear understanding of any copyright restrictions.

For more information on the six Creative Commons licenses visit the Creative Commons Australia website.

Learn more about data management plans at the research hub

Where to publish your data

A range of repositories are available to researchers that can be used to publish data Some may provide a Persistent Identifier (PID) such as a  Digital Object Identifier (DOI). These create a unique and stable link that will enable you to track your citations and impact over time.

Monash repository Bridges

At Monash we have a platform called Bridges that is secure and user-friendly. It is suitable for a wide range of research outputs, including data sets.

It is hosted and supported by Monash University Library and uses the Figshare platform.

Disciplinary repositories

In many disciplines, specific national or international repositories support long-term access to research data as well helping to co-locate disciplinary datasets.

These include Paradisec, Pangea, GenBank and the Crystallography Open Database. Read more on how to choose a repository.

Be sure to choose an archive with a robust reputation and is widely recognised in your area.

Data-specific repositories

There are a variety of data-specific repositories that are used by a range of disciplines. These include DRYAD or Zenodo.

Using a publisher's repository

Some journals offer their platforms to enable authors to publish their research data. Before choosing this option, ensure the data can be published as openly as possible.

You may wish to publish your dataset in an open repository, even if the journal article is behind a paywall.

Publishing mediated or restricted research datasets

Sharing data allows you to rapidly develop and test hypotheses, but commercial sensitivities, confidentiality or consideration of Indigenous data sovereignty can prevent open sharing.

In some cases, meditated access can be an option. This means you create a record of your research data so it is findable in catalogues. Formal applications need to be made and a data-sharing agreement put in place before access to the data is made possible.

With health research, Monash is participating in the HeSANDA initiative to support the sharing and reuse of data. This is a facilitated process that is managed by a dedicated Monash team. Final approval to share data sits with the nominated researcher or data custodian.

Data may be published with meditated access due to Indigenous data sovereignty. This refers to the rights of Indigenous people to exercise ownership over data, and is guided by the CARE principles.

Benefits of open data publishing

Increase your visibility, reach and citation impact

Make your data openly available to expand the reach of your research. When other researchers can access and cite your work, collaboration can increase and career opportunities can grow.

Meet your obligations with ease

Funding agencies and publishers increasingly encourage researchers to share their data openly. Using a research repository like Bridges helps do this, keeping the door open for future funding opportunities.

Boost your professional profile

Foreground your expertise with a strong digital presence. Publishing data openly lets you demonstrate your skill with new technologies and research methods, showcasing you as an influential contributor to your field.

Champion research integrity and reproducibility

Open data allows you to be transparent in your research practices. It allows other researchers to validate and reproduce your findings – bolstering your credibility and your research outcomes.

Get help

If you’re not sure how to publish openly, need advice on copyright issues, research data management or tracking your metrics, you can book a consultation and get one-on-one help from one of our expert librarians.

Alternatively, email your query for expert librarian support.