Common Metadata Framework for Research Data Repository: Necessity to Support Open Science

Abstract

Metadata is vital for information storage and retrieval from a database or repository. In the case of Research Data Repositories (RDRs), metadata can be a potent tool for describing and identifying data. Further, producing the metadata is indispensable for fostering data reuse. A filtered view of the registry of research data repositories, re3data.org, depicts no uniform patterns or standards for metadata in the case of RDRs, and the metadata elements and practices differ from RDR to RDR. The present study describes the features of a select number of RDRs and analyzes their metadata practices: Harvard Dataverse, Dryad, Figshare, Zenodo, and the Open Science Framework (OSF). It further examines the total number of metadata elements, common metadata elements, required metadata elements, and item-level metadata. Results indicate that even though Harvard Dataverse has the most metadata elements, Dryad provides rich metadata concerning item level. This study suggests a common metadata framework, richer metadata elements, and more features to make the research data’s interoperability possible from one RDR to another.