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LDbase (ldbase.org) is a domain-specific data repository for the learning disabilities field. It is a free place where researchers can share and find behavioral data, codebooks, data dictionaries and analysis code. Its authors describe it as a repository built for researchers in learning disabilities, where “LD” can stand for “learning disabilities” and also for “learning and development”. For researchers in education research, it is a place to deposit data from reading, math, language and intervention studies and to find datasets from other teams.
What it is
A domain-specific repository is limited to a certain data type or discipline. That contrasts with generalist repositories such as ICPSR and OSF, which accept data regardless of type, format or subject. The LDbase team argues that domain-specific repositories offer more detailed metadata profiles, which makes it easier to upload and to search for datasets that fit very specific parameters. LDbase has been public at ldbase.org since 2021 and was listed as an NIH-supported domain-specific repository after it launched.
LDbase accepts behavioral data only, meaning quantitative data gathered through questionnaires, cognitive testing and similar methods. It does not accept image, neurophysiological or video data. Researchers with video or image projects can still describe the project on LDbase with its metadata and link to the place where the data is stored. Datasets can be shared in formats such as csv, SAS, Excel, SPSS and R, and researchers can also share codebooks, data dictionaries, code and project documentation.
Who runs it and what it covers
LDbase is a collaboration between the Florida State University (FSU) Department of Psychology, the Florida Center for Reading Research and the FSU Libraries. The authors of the 2024 overview paper, Sara A. Hart, Christopher Schatschneider, Tara Reynolds and Favenzio Calvo, are all at Florida State University. According to that paper, LDbase was created through funding from the National Institutes of Health, and the FSU Libraries recognize LDbase as part of their archive and will maintain its curation after the funding period.
The repository is open to any researcher whose data fit its scope, from any country. The authors note that it was built by researchers in the USA, and that investigators outside the USA should check their local laws and customs before sharing data. They say they have tried to comply with the EU GDPR but cannot guarantee it.
Because the field often uses common measures, the paper highlights combining datasets, including through integrative data analysis, as one way to reuse shared data. It describes pooling datasets as a way to build a larger dataset from hard-to-reach populations. Metadata fields mentioned in the paper include the study’s funder, whether a control group was used, whether the study was randomized, whether twins were studied and whether ADHD was a focus.
How to search or use it
The LDbase home page groups its main functions under a few labels. These are the steps and labels documented on the site and in the overview paper.
- Start from the home page. The top navigation shows Home, Data Sharing Resources and Browse our Data, and the sign-in form is in the page header. Openly shared data can be viewed with or without an account.
- Browse Data or use Search. The home page offers “Browse Data” to see what is in LDbase and “Search” to find projects and data. The search supports Boolean terms and preselected facets, for example to find a longitudinal dataset with Dual Language Learners in elementary schools.
- Read the project page. Every upload starts with a project page holding metadata on the broader project, such as the description and investigators. Datasets and documents are nested under it, so a reader can see which codebook or code file goes with which dataset.
- Check each dataset’s access setting. Each dataset can have different access settings. Open data is available to any user, with or without an account. For controlled-access data the metadata is open but the data is not. A registered user can request access through the internal messaging system, and the investigator decides whether to grant it.
- Start a project to share your own data. The “Start a Project” option on the home page is for adding your data. Depositors can upload files or, if the data already live elsewhere online, add the metadata and a link to the external location instead.
- Assign project roles. A Project Administrator can add and edit metadata, upload files, manage access and delete parts of the project. A Project Editor can add and edit metadata and upload files but cannot delete data.
- Use the citation and DOI. LDbase provides DOIs for shared products free of charge, and the interface has a feature that copies a citation for a project or document. See how to cite a dataset for general practice.
The Data Sharing Resources section of the site offers guides and templates on topics such as de-identifying data, informed consent language, sample Data Management Plan text and working with your IRB. Methods-focused readers may also want the overview of educational research methods.
Strengths and limits
- Strengths:
- Project-based structure: Nested projects fit studies with several waves or data types and several manuscripts, which flat repositories often do not support.
- Field-specific metadata and search: Facets and Boolean search let users filter by study attributes that depositors have entered.
- Flexible access: Dataset-level open or controlled access, with an optional date after which controlled data becomes open.
- Free to use, including free DOIs.
- Limits:
- Behavioral data only: Image, neurophysiological and video data are not accepted for upload.
- Search depends on metadata: Users can only search on study attributes that depositors provided.
- Quality is the responsibility of depositors and users: The authors state that the onus for data quality is on both the depositor and the secondary data user.
Alternatives
When deciding where to deposit or look for data, compare LDbase with other repositories using the criteria in how to choose an open data repository. The 2024 paper itself names ICPSR and OSF as generalist repositories and Databrary as a repository for video data.
| Repository | Type | Relevance to LDbase users |
|---|---|---|
| LDbase | Domain-specific (learning disabilities and learning and development) | Behavioral data, codebooks, code and documentation, with project nesting |
| OSF | Generalist | Accepts data of any type; the LDbase site reports that OSF and the Center for Open Science now use LDbase’s metadata framework for education and developmental science data |
| ICPSR | Generalist | Accepts data regardless of type or discipline |
| Databrary | Video data | Named by the LDbase authors as the place for video data, which LDbase does not host |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LDbase?
A domain-specific data repository for the learning disabilities community, run by Florida State University and public since 2021. See the sections above for what it accepts and covers.
Is LDbase free to use?
Yes. The overview paper states that LDbase is freely available to any researcher whose data fit its scope, and that DOIs are provided free of charge.
Is LDbase an NIH-supported repository?
The overview paper reports that, since becoming publicly available, LDbase has been listed as an NIH-supported domain-specific repository. Check the current NIH list and your funder’s data sharing plan requirements before naming any repository in a plan.
What kinds of data can I deposit?
Behavioral data such as questionnaire and cognitive testing data, plus codebooks, data dictionaries, code and documentation. Image, neurophysiological and video data are not accepted, though a project can link to where such data are stored.
Can I restrict who sees my data?
Yes. Each dataset can be open or controlled access. For controlled data, registered users can request access through the internal messaging system and the investigator decides whether to grant it.
Sources
- Hart, S. A., Schatschneider, C., Reynolds, T., & Calvo, F. (2024). A community data sharing resource: The LDbase data repository. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 57(6). DOI: 10.1177/00222194241254091. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11542900/ (checked 2026-11-07).
- LDbase home page and announcements. https://ldbase.org/ (checked 2026-11-07).
