Make Your Data More Usable: README Files with Dryad

A README file serves as a crucial component of data documentation, providing important context and instructions for understanding and utilizing the data. They can also be tricky to prepare and are a common sticking point in the data publishing process. Properly preparing a README can make sure your dataset is published rapidly and smoothly, and that it is suitable for reuse.

Join Dryad Data Curator Bryan Gee for a workshop on the key elements of a well-crafted README file and how to structure it to enhance data usability. Participants will learn tips for writing clear and concise descriptions, documenting data formats, and incorporating relevant metadata. 

When: Wednesday, October 18 at 11am

This workshop is free, but registration is required. You can also access a recording of the workshop from Lane Library’s recent Research Impact Challenge to watch the session on demand.

Curious about the Dryad Digital Repository? It may be a good solution for openly sharing your datasets.

Dryad is a curated resource that makes research data discoverable, reusable, and citable. This international repository of data underlying peer-reviewed articles in the basic and applied biosciences was developed by the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center and the University of North Carolina Metadata Research Center, in coordination with a large group of Journals and Societies. Dryad provides a home for a wide range of data types and is free to use for all Stanford-affiliated researchers.