Thanks to funding from the Libraries, Temple University recently became an institutional member of the Qualitative Data Repository (QDR). QDR is a dedicated archive for storing and sharing qualitative and mixed-method research data, and accompanying documentation, hosted by the Center for Qualitative and Multi-Method Inquiry at Syracuse University. 

Temple researchers can discover qualitative datasets in QDR for research and teaching.  Temple affiliates can also share and preserve their own research data in QDR to satisfy publisher and funder requirements, including the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. QDR is a CoreTrustSeal certified repository that helps researchers share data responsibly and has the infrastructure and expertise to host sensitive data with restricted access. 

Benefits of QDR 

Sharing qualitative data takes advanced preparation to ensure participant consent is in place, and that data has been properly prepared and anonymized. QDR staff specialize in qualitative research methods and data curation and are able to assist Temple researchers throughout the research process.  

Benefits of using QDR include: 

• Detailed data curation assistance to ensure deposited data is fully de-identified, annotated, and ready for sharing 
• Tiered levels of data access including the ability to restrict access to sensitive data 
• Persistent identifiers to make data discoverable and citable 
• Data metrics including views, downloads, and citations to track impact 
• Guidance and documentation on qualitative research and data management topic such as working with human participant data, data management planning, deidentifying data, and conducting disclosure risk review  

Our membership supports a limited number of no-cost data deposits per year by Temple researchers. Researchers should register for a QDR account using their Temple email address to download or deposit data.  

Ideally, potential depositors should contact QDR early in their project, before data collection occurs, to receive guidance on designing data collection and data management planning for grant submissions.  

If you are applying for a large or multi-year grant, please consult with QDR before designating them as a repository. There may be additional costs for large-scale or multi-year projects. 

Data Sharing at Temple 

Given the increase in funder-mandated data management planning and sharing requirements, researchers must carefully consider how they will responsibly share their research data. In addition to the Qualitative Data Repository, Temple University is also a member of ICPSR, and has its own institutional repository, TUScholarShare, that can curate deidentified data. We also provide guidance on selecting the right general or disciplinary repository for your data. 

Get Help 

Have questions about sharing data or using QDR? See our guide to the Qualitative Data Repository, or contact Temple’s institutional representative, Olivia Given Castello, at olivia.castello@temple.edu. 

To learn more about data management planning, see our research data management guide and tutorials on data management planning with DMPTool. To learn more about qualitative data, see our qualitative data analysis (QDA) guide and consider attending one of our upcoming library workshops on QDA.