Role of Research Data Repositories and Open Data Sharing with Specific Reference to Open Science Framework (OSF)

Abstract

In the world of research and academia, in the current era of data-driven research, the availability and accessibility of research data have become crucial for scientific research, collaboration and advancement. Consequently, sharing of data is becoming a more crucial aspect of fostering open science and reproducible research. The practice of research data sharing not only enables transparency in research and collaboration but also allows other researchers to build upon existing work to reproduce research, accelerating the pace of scientific discovery. Various research data repositories have emerged to facilitate this process, providing a platform for researchers to deposit and access research data. And, research data repositories, specifically generalist research data repositories, have become vital platforms facilitating the storage, management, and sharing of research data across various disciplines. One such prominent research data repository is the Open Science Framework (OSF), which has gained prominence as a powerful and versatile platform for its comprehensive set of features and commitment to open science and collaborative research practices. This article examines the concept of research data repositories and their features and functions. Further, it sheds light on the NIH’s GREI initiative and the role of Generalist Research Data Repositories (GRDR) and explores the Open Science Framework (OSF) with its key features and advantages with an emphasis on reproducible research and data sharing.