A free research-data repository operated by Harvard University on the open-source Dataverse software platform, accepting datasets from researchers worldwide, minting DataCite DOIs, and serving as the flagship instance of the global Dataverse network.

ByCASRAI Editorial Board

· Last updated 10 Jul 2026

Examples

Worked examples

Is an instance
A replication package for a published economics paper deposited in Harvard Dataverse with a DataCite DOI.
Is an instance
A national-level Dataverse installation (e.g. DataverseNL) using the open-source software platform.

Counter-examples

Looks similar, but isn't

Not an instance
A non-Dataverse repository is not 'Harvard Dataverse', even if it serves similar functions.
Not an instance
Harvard's institutional repository (DASH) is a separate service from Harvard Dataverse.

Editorial commentary

Harvard Dataverse (dataverse.harvard.edu) was launched in 2007 and runs on the Dataverse software developed at Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science. The software is open-source and is deployed at dozens of institutions globally as institutional or national data repositories (DataverseNL, Demo Dataverse instances, etc.). Harvard Dataverse alone hosts hundreds of thousands of datasets and has CoreTrustSeal certification. Its data-replication-package model is widely used in quantitative social science.

References

King G., 'An introduction to the Dataverse Network as an infrastructure for data sharing', Sociological Methods & Research 36(2), 2007.
Crosas M., 'The Dataverse Network: An open-source application for sharing, discovering and preserving data', D-Lib Magazine 17(1/2), 2011.

Also known as

Dataverse

Machine-readable encodings

Use in your systems

JATS XML <role> element

xml

<role vocab="credit"
      vocab-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/"
      vocab-term="Harvard Dataverse (concept)"
      vocab-term-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/harvard-dataverse-concept" />

Schema.org DefinedTerm (JSON-LD)

json

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "DefinedTerm",
  "@id": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/harvard-dataverse-concept",
  "name": "Harvard Dataverse (concept)",
  "identifier": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/harvard-dataverse-concept",
  "description": "A free research-data repository operated by Harvard University on the open-source Dataverse software platform, accepting datasets from researchers worldwide, minting DataCite DOIs, and serving as the flagship instance of the global Dataverse network.",
  "inDefinedTermSet": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/domain/data-infrastructure#set",
  "url": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/harvard-dataverse-concept",
  "sameAs": [
    "Dataverse"
  ],
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "publisher": {
    "@id": "https://casrai.org/#organization"
  },
  "dateModified": "2026-07-10T02:06:21",
  "inLanguage": "en"
}

Referenced across the research world

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