Nanyang Technological University (NTU)’s research data repository, DR-NTU (Data), was launched by NTU Library in November 2017, with a mission to curate, store, preserve, make available and enable the download of digital data generated by the NTU research community in various disciplines. The requirement to deposit and share final research data was stipulated in NTU Research Data Policy. Therefore, DR-NTU (Data) plays a crucial role in providing a robust platform for researchers to store and share their research data.
DR-NTU (Data) uses Dataverse, an open-source research data repository software developed by Harvard University, to effectively manage and archive research data. Currently, there are more than 1,000 published research datasets with a total of 28,000 files stored in DR-NTU (Data). NTU Data Librarians manage the repository, perform data curation, as well as provide data management advocacy.
Although DR-NTU (Data) is relatively young, it has, in January 2022, successfully obtained CoreTrustSeal certification which affirms the trustworthiness of a data repository.
In alignment with the NTU 2025 Research strategic thrust, NTU Library aims to spearhead research services with its initiatives, which drove the need to obtain certification that validates DR-NTU (Data) as a trusted repository that meets established standards and adopts best practices. Receiving this certification is significant, as trust is a big challenge in sharing research data. Data repositories must be robust enough for researchers to trust that the data they share will not be lost, stolen or misused. In addition, funders and publishers increasingly stipulate that the research data they fund must be posted to a trusted repository[1].
The certification process by CoreTrustSeal involved both self-review and peer-review. DR-NTU (Data) was assessed across 16 assessment criteria, covering organisational infrastructure, digital object management and technology. The rigorous assessment verified that the data repository has solid and transparent processes, from data submission, curation, audit-trail, to data access and reuse. It also looked for evidence of expertise in managing and handling deposited datasets, as well as the soundness of technological infrastructure and security. The assessment placed a strong emphasis on preservation plans and strategies, which reflect the ability of a repository to provide long-term preservation and access.
With the CoreTrustSeal, DR-NTU (Data), which is also the first Singapore data repository to receive this certification, has gained international recognition for its trustworthiness. As the certification process is both rigorous and nontrivial, only data repositories of a sufficiently high standard are certified.
If you wish to learn more about DR-NTU (Data), please contact NTU Library at library@ntu.edu.sg.
Contributed by Yuyun W. Ishak
Lead, Institutional Repositories, NTU Library
[1] Center for Open Science. (2015). Top guidelines. TOP Guidelines. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.cos.io/initiatives/top-guidelines