Figshare FAQs
This is a list of frequently asked questions about using the Figshare data repository.
You can also search the if the answer to your question can't be found below.
Elements is the place to put your publications. Figshare is the repository for research data, and has features specifically designed to support data access.
You can add research data you need to make available to support a publication. You can also add all data from a project. Please contact us if this represents a large amount of data. Contact research-data@sussex.ac.uk.
If it can be made available. We can discuss this with you to advise on any ethical or practical concerns.
In most cases data should be held in only one repository. It is possible to create a metadata only record to link to and highlight key datasets.
Not yet, but this is a planned development.
Add your paper to Elements as normal, and also log into Figshare and upload your dataset.
Yes. You can reserve one in advance to add to the proofs of your paper, by following our guidance on reserving your DOI. You can reserve a DOI before the data is published.
Yes. You can set an embargo for the data only, or the data and the metadata record overall. This will lift automatically at the end of the embargo period and be freely available.
Figshare will default to , which permits reuse of the data subject to attribution. All the are supported. Other licences can also be added on request by emailing research-data@sussex.ac.uk.
It is best practice to make your data available under as open a licence as possible. Consider the requirements of your funder as well as any agreements (e.g. with industry partners) relating to non-commercial use.
We recommend that you use the ÄûÃÊÊÓƵ Box.com storage for collaborating with external partners. See this ITS guide on Box to learn more.
Yes, if the agreement with collaborators is for Sussex to make the data available. If the data is deposited in the repository of the other institution, you can create a metadata only record and link to this.
We would recommend depositing data in the place it is most likely to be found by other researchers, so if a subject repository is most commonly used then continue to deposit there. You can find suitable subject repositories using .
Adding a record to Figshare makes your dataset more discoverable, increasing possible citation and reuse.
Researchers have automatically been granted access to Figshare, and you should be able to log in using your standard ITS username and password. This includes current doctoral researchers. If you find you cannot log in, you may need to email so we can add you manually to the feed. Figshare is not available to undergraduates or taught postgraduates.
You can upload any file type to Figshare. Figshare also supports the visualisation of many file formats directly from within the browser.
Every researcher has an initial 5GB of storage space on Figshare. You can request more space from within the 'My data' tab of your Figshare account where there is an option 'request more storage.' You can also email research-data@sussex.ac.uk to request more space, and we would recommend that you contact us if you need a significant increase in space so that we can discuss your data needs.