Data Curation through Catalogs: A Repository-Independent Model for Data Discovery

Institutional data repositories are the acknowledged gold standard for curation platforms in academic libraries. But not every institution can sustain a repository, and dataset be archived due to legal, ethical, or authorial constraints. Data catalogs—metadata-only indices of research that provide detailed access instructions conditions use—are one potential solution, may especially suitable "challenging" datasets. This article presents strengths catalogs increasing discoverability accessibility data. The authors argue viable alternative complement repositories, examples from their institutions' experiences show how address specific curatorial requirements. also reports on development community practice discovery initiatives.