Dryad Data Repository

The NC State University Libraries is an Institutional Member of the Dryad data repository, a platform that makes research data discoverable, freely reusable, and citable. Dryad provides a general-purpose home for a wide diversity of data types. Our institutional membership means that you can deposit datasets in any discipline into Dryad at no cost. It also integrates with Zenodo, a general use repository hosted at CERN that has been paving the way in software citation and publishing. This means you can deposit your dataset into the Dryad Digital Repository along with associated code, scripts, and software packages, which will be sent directly to Zenodo. Dryad is one of many data repositories that can be used to share research data. 

Why use Dryad?

  • Dryad can help make your data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) as encouraged by funders and journals
  • Publish and get a DOI for your dataset
  • Publish associated code, scripts, and software packages that will be sent directly to the Zenodo repository, with the ability to select the proper license
  • Track usage and downloads of your datasets
  • Dryad supports most data file types across disciplines
  • Have the ability to deposit data and associated code, scripts, and software packages private during the peer review period

You should not use Dryad if:

  • Your data is too sensitive to share publicly
  • You cannot agree to the CC0 license for the datasets (and/or you cannot agree to the software licenses available to you from Zenodo, if publishing associated code, scripts, or software packages)
  • Your dataset publication is larger than 300GB (for datasets larger than 300GB, contact [email protected])
  • If you need to share articles or other text documents, use our repository

Log into Dryad now: https://datadryad.org/stash/sessions/choose_login

  • How to Log into Dryad 
    1. Go to https://datadryad.org. Click the Login button in the upper-right corner of the screen.Screenshot of Dryad landing page
    2. Click the Login or create your ORCID iD button.Screenshot of Dryad prompt to Login or create your ORCID ID
    3. Enter your ORCID iD or Email address and your ORCID password and click the Sign into ORCID button. If you do not have an ORCID iD, you can click the Register now link to sign up. Click the Authorize button to connect your ORCID iD to your Dryad account. In the future you will be able to login into Dryad using only your ORCID iD and password.Screenshot of Dryad prompt to Sign into ORCID or Register new ORCID
    4.  Choose North Carolina State University from the drop-down menu under the Your Institution may be a member of Dryad heading. Click the Login to verify button.Screenshot of prompt on Dryad page to enter Institution from a dropdown menu
    5. Login with your NCSU Unity ID and Password.  Click the Accept button to connect your Dryad account with NCSU’s institutional membership. You will not need to perform this login in the future.Screenshot of Shibboleth Login Service acceptance of Dryad services
    6. You are officially logged into NC State's Dryad membership! You can click on the Start New Dataset to begin submitting your dataset.Screenshot of My Datasets page when logged into Dryad
  • How to Submit a Dataset to Dryad 

    When you are ready to submit your data with Dryad, start by reviewing Dryad’s data submission best practices guide on how to organize and document your data to support re-use and discovery.

    1. Log into Dryad using the instructions above.
    2. Select "Start New Dataset" to begin the submission process for your dataset.Screenshot of My Datasets page identifying "Start New Dataset" button
    3. Choose whether or your dataset is related to a manuscript or published article by choosing one of the following radio buttons:
      • a manuscript in progress, or

        • By choosing "a manuscript in process," you can enter the Journal Name and Manuscript Number for your manuscript. If the journal you have submitted your manuscript with works with Dryad, click the Import Manuscript Metadata button to download the metadata from the journal.Screenshot of Describe Your Dataset prompt in Dryad, indicating data is related to a manuscript

           

      • a published article
        • By choosing "a published article," you can enter the Journal Name and DOI for your article and then click the Import Article Metadata button to download metadata about the article form ORCID and CrossRef.Screenshot of Describe Your Dataset prompt in Dryad, indicating data is related to a article
      • Other or not applicable 
        • By choosing "other or not applicable," you can simply start by entering information about your dataset. Basic Information heading, your First Name, Last Name, Institutional Affiliation and Author Email will already be filled in based on your ORCID iD.Screenshot of fields for entering initial information about a dataset in Dryad
    4. Add any Additional Authors using the Add Author button.Screenshot of fields for entering information about additional authors in Dryad
    5. Then add an Abstract for the dataset.Screenshot of text field to enter Abstract description for a new dataset in Dryad
    6. Click on the arrow on the left hand side of the screen to open the Data Description heading.Screenshot of text field for entering data description when adding a new dataset in Dryad
    7. Enter the following metadata elements:
      • Keywords: Enter keywords that describe your data. Use a comma to separate each word or phrase. You can also enter important terms from any standards, controlled vocabularies, or ontologies that you specified in your Data Management Plan.
      • Methods: Enter a description of the methods used to collect and process your dataset. You may want to use descriptions from your Data Management Plan here as well.
      • Usage Notes: Enter the information someone would need to know in order to use your dataset. Be sure to include any necessary software and be sure to note the names of files containing codebooks or ReadMe files that will be necessary to understand the data. Be sure to include those files along with the dataset you upload.
      • Funding: Enter one or more funding agencies as well as any award numbers for each agency.
      • Related Works: Enter one or more related works to the dataset. From the drop-down Relationship menu, choose the relationship between the dataset and related work and, whenever possible, include identifier to the related work. From ID Type drop-down menu, choose the type of identifier and then enter the identifier.Screenshot of text fields for entering Usage Notes and Funding description when adding a new dataset in DryadScreenshot of text field for entering Related Works when adding a new dataset in Dryad
    8. Click the Proceed to Upload button.
    9. On the next page you can upload data files, software and supplemental information either from your computer or by providing a URL for where the files are located on an external server like Box, Dropbox, Amazon, or NC State University lab server.Screenshot of prompt for uploading files when adding a new dataset in Dryad

    10. Once you have chosen all the files you would like to upload they will appear in a table at the bottom of the screen. Check the "I confirm that no Personal Health Information or Sensitive Data are being uploaded with this submission." checkbox and click the Upload pending files button. Screenshot of prompt for uploading files to Dryad.

       

    11. Once the file(s) are uploaded, any tabular data will be checked using the Frictionless tool from Frictionless Data. The checks will validate the tabular data against the Frictionless Framework validation guide. The check will alert you to any data errors such as blank cells, missing headers, or incorrectly formatted data. Click the Proceed to Review button.  If there are any required elements missing from your submission, a big red box will appear at the top of the screen to let you know what you must add in order to submit your dataset. Screenshot of data files that have been uploaded to Dryad, but one of the files has an error.
    12. If any of the uploaded tabular data has issues, click on the View X Issues link to the file name in the Tabular Data Check column of the data files table. To review the issues. Once the issues have be corrected in the original file, click Remove in the Action column to delete the file with issues and Re-upload the corrected file using the Choose Files or Enter URLs button above.                                                                  Screenshot of frictionless data error report for a tabular file.
    13. Once all of your tabular data files have been passed the data check and all of your software and supplemental files have been uploaded via Zenodo, click the Proceed to Review button. Review the following elements before submitting the dataset for review:Screenshot of content to review before adding a new dataset in Dryad 
      • Review Description: In addition to reviewing the description of the dataset that you have provided this is also where you will get the DOI that has been assigned to your dataset and what the citation for your dataset looks like. Be sure it includes all of the necessary information.
      • Review Data Files: In addition to the files containing your data, software and supplemental information, be sure that any files that are required for understanding and working with your data are also included.
      • Enable Private for Peer Review: Check the box next to "Keep my dataset private while my related article is in peer review" if your Data Management Plan included an embargo on making the data public during your article’s peer review. The default embargo is for six months and the dataset will not go through curation until the embargo ends.
      • License: Dryad only accepts datasets under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication license. If you cannot agree to this license, do not submit your dataset.
      • Agree to Terms: Check the boxes next to the terms. Be sure to review Dryad's Terms of Service.
      • Payment: There are no fees for uploading a dataset as part of North Carolina State University’s Institutional Dryad Membership. 
    14. Click the Submit button.Screenshot showing submit button to add a new dataset in Dryad
    15. Once your dataset is submitted and any embargoes are lifted, your dataset will go to curation by Dryad. During this time it is important not to edit your dataset as that will remove your dataset from the curation queue and make it appear as though it is not ready for curation. 
    16. You can begin to upload files or fill out the dataset metadata without submitting the data. The next time you login to Dryad, click on the My DataSets link in the left hand menu and you will be able to see, edit, or delete any of your datasets that have not been submitted to Dryad.
  • Video Tutorials 

    How to Log Into Dryad

    Watch the video below to learn how to log into Dryad for the first time.

    How to Upload a Dataset to Dryad

    Watch the video below to learn how to upload your dataset to Dryad.

  • Need Help? 
  • FAQs 
    • What disciplines are appropriate for Dryad data submissions?
      • Dryad used to be for specific disciplines only, but is categorized as a general data repository because it now accepts data from all disciplines. However, if you are submitting data to Dryad to comply with certain publisher or funder requirements, check which data repositories they recommend before submitting your data to Dryad.
    • Can in-process data be stored in Dryad?
      • Dryad is for data that is final and publication-ready.
    • Are data submissions to Dryad required to be associated with an article/publication?
      • No-- Dryad no longer requires that data be associated with a publication.
    • If I have code, scripts, and software packages that I would like to deposit with my data to be published in Zenodo, do I have to log in to Zenodo or can I deposit all content at once through the Dryad interface?
      • No, you do not need to log in to Zenodo. You will be able to include code, scripts, and software packages in the tab titled “Upload Software.” Anything uploaded here will be sent directly to Zenodo. After curation and publication of the dataset, the Dryad and Zenodo outputs are linked publicly on each landing page and indexed with DataCite metadata. Versioning and updating of either package can happen at any time through the Dryad interface.
    • I would like to link my data submission in Dryad to the associated article - how do I do that in Dryad?
      • Dryad integrates with several publishers and will link data with publications when they exist.
    • Who is eligible to submit data into Dryad?
      • Anyone can submit data into Dryad for a cost. However, our institutional membership means NC State researchers can submit datasets for free.
    • What is the maximum data package size allowed for Dryad?
      • Users can upload datasets that are 300GBs or less through the web interface. Larger datasets will be considered on a case-by-case basis by Dryad. Researchers should contact Dryad at [email protected] for help.
    • I’m having trouble uploading a file that is over 10GB - what method of upload should I use?
      • To upload files into Dryad of more than 10GB, you need to use the “upload by URL” option on the data upload page during submission. If the files can be stored on Box, Dropbox, Amazon, or a lab server, that would be the easiest way to transfer them over. Direct upload of files over 10GB files are not allowed because of servers time-out issues.
    • Does Dryad support large file transfers from Google Drive?
      • Currently, only files less than 3GB will effectively transfer from Google Drive to Dryad.
    • Does Dryad support large file transfers from Globus?
      • Not at this time.
    • What license options are available for the data, code, scripts, and software packages that I submit to Dryad?
      • Dryad currently only offers a CC0 license for data. Zenodo offers licenses that are appropriate for code, scripts, and software packages. You will have the opportunity to view and choose those license options when you review your deposit.
    • Is the data submitted to Dryad free to use?
      • Data in Dryad is openly discoverable and downloadable. Data cannot contain any sensitive, restricted, or confidential information.
    • Can I restrict access to data that I submit to Dryad?
      • Dryad offers the option to make the dataset and any associate code, scripts, or software packages private during a related article's peer review process.
    • What types of metrics does Dryad track for each dataset?
      • Dryad tracks download, views, and citation metrics.
    • Does anyone review the datasets I submit to Dryad before they are made available to the public?
      • Dryad offers “light-weight” curation for all datasets to make data more FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). In the future, we may integrate with Dryad to provide more in-depth curation.
    • Will I get a DOI for my dataset?
      • Dryad reserves a DOI immediately when a depositor begins a dataset submission, which is why the DOI appears on page 3 of the data submission process. The DOI is registered and can be resolved as soon as something is published, which occurs once the Dryad staff completes their data curation step (Dryad estimates this step to take 1-2 weeks). The DOI is unresolvable during the curation process, but Dryad reserves the DOI up front in case people need to provide it to a journal or update a DMP.
    • What is the benefit of the integration between Dryad and Zenodo?
      • Dryad accepts finalized research data and metadata only. Software scripts and snapshots of software source code can be uploaded with your data deposit into Dryad, and those outputs will be published at Zenodo. Zenodo allows public software deposits with version control for the ongoing maintenance of software packages. If you are only seeking to store code, software, and/or supplemental information without associating those outputs with data that is deposited in Dryad, please visit Zenodo or another general code repository. View our Data Repository web page for information about additional general code repository options.
    • I have raw sequence data (FASTQ files) - should I submit it to SRA or Dryad?
    • Why did NC State University Libraries choose Dryad over other repositories?
      • The institutional membership comes with services from the Dryad team such as hosting the platform, software updates, storage hardware maintenance, curation, waived data publication costs for NC State researchers, and perpetual data hosting. These are attractive to us. Additionally, we are interested in their upcoming plans for integrations with 1) journals, 2) funders, and 3) Zenodo. Dryad is also flexible with local customizations, which is something we'd like to explore in the future.
    • Is Dryad the only data repository that NC State University Libraries recommends?
      • No. As mentioned above, Dryad may not be the best solution for all of our researchers. If there is a disciplinary repository, we always recommend that you use that for greater visibility and impact. There may also be considerations depending on if you are grant funded, and/or if you are working with a publisher. Choosing a repository solution currently is not a one size fits all, and the Libraries is here to consult and offer advice when making these decisions.
    • Will NC State University Libraries add additional data repository memberships and tools to their portfolio?
      • We are always looking for how to fill remaining gaps with regards to data repositories and related repository services/tools. We welcome any suggestions or questions you have now and in the future. In terms of a repository option for general research data, though, at this time it doesn't necessarily make sense for us to pay for memberships to/for a bunch of general data repositories. If we add additional repository tools or repository options, it would be because they offer something Dryad doesn't, or some added service that we like, or because it offers our community something you need and are lacking. We expect these decisions will be ongoing as repositories are developed.
  • About the Dryad Membership 
    • Dryad is a nonprofit membership organization that is committed to making data available for research and educational reuse, now and into the future. 
    • The NC State University Libraries will fund and manage the membership as part of the Libraries’ broad support for data-intensive research.