Celebrating international open data day

Around the world this week, talks, seminars and hackathons are shining a spotlight on the power of open data. When data is shared openly, it improves transparency and participation, helping to support efforts to address complex global challenges. Open data can also increase the visibility and reuse of your work, helping your research reach wider audiences. 

Plan for open data early 

The start of your research project is the ideal time to think about sharing your data. Early planning helps you identify ethical or legal requirements and makes publishing your data simpler when your project concludes. 

Not sure where to begin? Start with our guidance on what to consider before making your research open and how to deposit your data into Griffith Research Online (GRO). 

Find data for your projects 

If you’re looking for data to support your next project or publication, we provide a curated list of external research data repositories in the Research data Library guide. It includes national and international portals as well as discipline‑specific platforms that can enrich your research or help you identify new directions. Reusing open datasets can also save significant time on data collection. 

Okay I have the data—what next? 

Once you have your dataset, you may need specialised tools for analysis or visualisation. The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) offers platforms and services for researchers across a wide range of disciplines, including:  

• Health and medical researchers’ resource hub   
• Earth and environmental science researchers’ resource hub   
• HASS and Indigenous research resource hub 

Griffith’s eResearch Services also provides expert support, training, storage and analysis services for researchers and HDR candidates. Get their expert advice to help you choose the right tools for your project. 

See how your peers are sharing 

Check out these examples of the diverse open data being shared through GRO:. 

• Audio recordings of polite and non-polite speech produced by native and non-native speakers of Japanese 
• Patient-specific left heart models for in-silico and in-vitro modelling 
• Bridging hosts: Domestic horse density and Hendra virus spillover risk in a changing landscape 

Explore more datasets in our Research data collection. 

Want to learn more? 

If you’re curious about accessing national research data platforms, come along to the next External research datasets RED workshop or watch the recording. And for further advice, Contact the Library anytime—we’re here to help!