Public Accessible Repositories
Like the RDR, publicly accessible repositories are organized inventories of data assets. A key difference, though, is that these repositories are accessible to all individuals. Staff, with the assistance of their data manager, can upload their project data to a public-facing repository. The benefit of doing this is twofold:
Archiving your data in more than one repository will lead to redundant storage, greatly reducing the risk of data loss.
Your project data can easily be discovered and accessed by partners and other researchers outside of the Service.
Examples of public repositories--many of which are federally managed--include:
ServCat
ServCat--short for Service Catalog--archives resources generated or created by the Service such as published and unpublished reports, management plans, datasets, photos, audio files, maps, and journal articles. This repository was designed allow project data to be easily discovered and retrieved by Service staff as well as the general public. The system is securely managed and backed up by USFWS data specialists, and files of all types and sizes can be uploaded to ServCat. This repository is well suited for document storage and can be used by all Service staff.
Access ServCat here: https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/
ScienceBase
ScienceBase is a digital repository created by USGS for the long-term storage of finalized science products like datasets, photos, and maps. Data uploaded to this repository can be shared within and without USGS through web services, and metadata can be created and maintained using this tool. ScienceBase also allows researchers to track projects and their data from their inception to completion. This repository is currently only available for Science Application staff.
Access ScienceBase here: https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/
Uploading project files to public-facing repositories is best accomplished with help from your data manager.
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