Data repositories in information and communication sciences. An empirical study

This article offers a contribution to the ongoing debate within the Information and Communication Sciences community concerning the emergence of Open science. We present the results of an empirical study on digital devices implemented by and for researchers in Information and Communication Sciences in the field of research data management. What are the thematic and disciplinary data repositories in this discipline, and what are the generic repositories for the preservation and dissemination of research data? After a conceptual analysis of research data and warehouses, the article presents the results of an empirical study based on the Cat-OPIDoR and re3data directories, with information about their contents, metadata, disciplinary dimensions and geographic location. The discussion focuses on three aspects: certification and standardization; the issue of management, archiving and/or dissemination of data; and the impact of data management on the disciplinary community. By way of conclusion, the article offers some recommendations for the positioning of Information and Communication Sciences and for future research.