Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A dataset submitted alongside a manuscript, reviewed by a Dryad curator for completeness, then published with a DataCite DOI cross-linked to the article.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
Depositing a standalone software package with no accompanying dataset on Dryad — a scope mismatch; Dryad itself routes software deposits to Zenodo.
Editorial commentary
Dryad was founded in 2007 by a consortium of biological journals to host datasets accompanying papers. Its workflow is journal-integrated: a researcher submits a dataset alongside a manuscript; Dryad curators review for completeness; the dataset is published with a DOI and linked to the article. Dryad operates a CC0-default licence, encouraging maximally reusable deposits. Dryad partners with Zenodo for software deposits (Zenodo handles software, Dryad handles data, with cross-links). Dryad’s preservation copy is held in Merritt (California Digital Library), which holds CoreTrustSeal certification — Dryad’s curation and publishing layer is not itself separately certified.
How Dryad differs from Zenodo and Figshare
- Dryad: non-profit, governed by Dryad Data Inc. and partnered with the California Digital Library (its preservation layer, Merritt, is CoreTrustSeal-certified); curators review submissions for completeness before publication; workflow is journal-integrated; CC0 default.
- Zenodo: operated by CERN with OpenAIRE, no curation review — anything within its acceptable-use policy is published on deposit; general-purpose, covering software, data, and any other research output type; free at point of use.
- Figshare: commercially backed by Digital Science; free public tier plus paid institutional and Figshare+ tiers with larger storage limits; no mandatory curation review on the free tier.
The practical difference for a researcher: Dryad’s curation-review step means a small delay before publication but a check for completeness that Zenodo and Figshare’s free tiers do not perform.
Worked example
A researcher submitting a manuscript to a journal that requires a Dryad deposit uploads the raw dataset alongside the manuscript; a Dryad curator checks the files are complete and adequately described before the dataset is published with its own DataCite DOI, cross-linked to the eventual article.
Counter-example
Depositing a standalone software package (with no accompanying dataset) on Dryad is a mismatch — Dryad’s curation workflow and scope are built around data linked to a publication; a software deposit belongs on Zenodo, which Dryad itself cross-links to for exactly this reason.
Related pages
See also Zenodo, Figshare, generalist repository, data publication platform, and CoreTrustSeal.
References
- Dryad Data Inc., “Dryad Data Repository” (datadryad.org).
- blog.datadryad.org, on the Merritt/California Digital Library preservation partnership and CoreTrustSeal certification.
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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