Can a Data Repository Survive a Crisis? Development of the Repository Crisis Scorecards

Joseph Gum , Rachael E. Blake , Lesley Wyborn , Amy Nurnberger, Jessica Choi, Alycia Crall, Ruth Duerr, Gerbrand Koren, Alexis Garretson, Reyna Broadhurst, Talya ten Brink, Carolina Berys-Gonzalez

Disaster scenarios are not usually considered by scientists when publishing or archiving data. The goal is often to satisfy more immediate needs and requirements of funders, journal publishers, or collaborators. Yet, recent events around the globe, combined with the increased need for high-quality data to solve large-scale problems, have highlighted the vulnerability of data stored in repositories to crises. To address these concerns, we held a one-month sprint in March 2025 to develop the Repository Crisis Scorecards (RCS) with the goal of helping data repository personnel better assess and understand how their systems and infrastructure might be suited to withstand four crisis scenarios. We adapted the scorecard style proven successful by the EarthCube Research Coordination Network (RCN) on ‘What About Model Data?” because it was approachable, could be adapted to each repository, and could be shared widely without technical tools. We anticipate that the RCS could be used by established repositories, informal data collectors, and anyone holding data to plan for more sustainable and robust long-term data publication and preservation. Here, we outline the process for developing the RCS, share lessons learned, and next steps for its ongoing development.