The Image Data Resource is added to the list of Scientific Data recommended data repositories

Nature Research journal Scientific Data is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal for descriptions of scientifically valuable datasets, and research that advances the sharing and reuse of scientific data. These data descriptors provide a path for publishing datasets associated with scientific publications.

Scientific Data requires that all datasets related to a data descriptor, including experimental, computational and curated data, should be submitted to an appropriate open, public community repository. Although Scientific Data mandates the release of the datasets that accompany their manuscripts, they do not themselves host data. Instead, they encourage submission of data to community-recognized data repositories where possible.

The Image Data Resource (IDR), the world’s largest public bioimage database, is now recommended by Scientific Data as a repository for bioimaging data. Authors wishing to submit a data descriptor that includes imaging data will be asked to deposit the data in one of the image data repositories that now include IDR. IDR accepts reference image datasets (as defined at IDR Submissions). Datasets that are not reference images can be published using data archives (e.g. BioStudies or Data Dryad) or, if appropriate, any of the other imaging data repositories recommended by Scientific Data (e.g. EM DataBank, Cancer Imaging Archive, SICAS Medical Image Repository, or Coherent X-ray Imaging Data Bank). Datasets published in IDR will receive a Data DOI that should then be included during the Scientific Data manuscript submission process. This follows the successful publication in IDR of the imaging data for a Scientific Data data descriptor by Pascual-Vargas et al on the role of Rho GTPases in triple negative breast cancer.

The Scientific Data repository list is mirrored for use by other Springer Nature journals and is therefore also available for use by authors submitting to other Springer Nature journals. As an example, an article published by Kilpinen et al in Nature is supported by imaging data that has been archived in IDR.

We look forward to publishing many more imaging datasets associated with Scientific Data and other Springer Nature articles now that this partnership is officially launched!