Frequently asked questions

The Movebank Data Repository is a public archive that hosts two collections: (1) animal movement and bio-logging data packages submitted through Movebank, and (2) analytical workflows developed in MoveApps.

Published data packages are distinct from the Movebank platform (movebank.org), in which users control access and are responsible for their data quality. To be published in the Movebank Data Repository, a data owner submits data for deposition. The data are then reviewed by our curation staff, and, when accepted, granted a unique identifier (DOI), citation, and license, and are made publicly available. Read more about our collections development policy, the submission and review process, and how to prepare your data for submission.

Likewise, published workflows are distinct from workflows developed in MoveApps (moveapps.org), in which users and developers can independently create, update, delete and deprecate workflows and the apps they are composed of. Published workflows include a DOI, citation, and license. Archived files include code, settings, and software versions allowing them to be re-run in the future and on other operating systems. Read more about how to prepare a workflow for publication.

See below for answers to general questions about the repository. For other questions, please contact movebank.datarep@uni-konstanz.de.

How the repository works

  • Why has Movebank developed this repository?
  • What kinds of data does Movebank publish?
  • How do data in the data repository differ from other data in Movebank?
  • How are data packages in the repository licensed?
  • What is a DOI?
  • Are there publication fees?
  • How does the repository address disclosure risk?
  • How to publish

  • What is a data package?
  • What is a MoveApps Workflow?
  • How do I prepare and submit my data?
  • Why should I publish my data?
  • Can I use the Movebank Data Repository to fulfill data-sharing requirements?
  • Why do data have to be uploaded to Movebank before they can be published in the repository?
  • Can I place an embargo on the publication of my data?
  • Can I publish my data but restrict access to it?
  • How to access and use published data

  • How do I access published works?
  • How do I cite publications from the Movebank Data Repository?
  • Can I re-use published data for a new purpose?
  • Does the Movebank Data Repository have an API?
  • How the repository works

    Why has Movebank developed this repository?

    Collecting animal tracking data takes enormous time, effort and funding, and also impacts the animals who carry tags. We believe that these data provide invaluable records about nature and should be preserved for future generations. However, after a paper about the study is published, these data are often privately stored and never used again, even though most animal tracking research is publicly funded. Archiving these data provides public access to these data and allows them to be used again to address new questions. The archive provides a citation for each data package, so that the data and authors can be referenced in future work. In addition, publishing data in the Movebank format facilitates combining multiple datasets, for example to do comparative analyses or to increase sample sizes, and allows them to be analyzed using compatible tools.

    What kinds of data does Movebank publish?

    The Movebank Data Repository includes .csv files of animal movement and bio-logging data that have been imported into Movebank and thus follow Movebank's data model and vocabulary, along with associated data files that may include raw data files and additional descriptive information. The repository consists primarily of datasets that are described in peer-reviewed journal articles or other written reports.

    How do data in Movebank's data repository differ from other data in Movebank?

    In order to ensure that data remain accessible over time, all data published in the repository are available to the public. Movebank is designed to help scientists share and work with data throughout the research cycle. Thus, data in Movebank include information that is still being analyzed and edited and may not be suitable for public distribution. In contrast, data packages in the repository have gone through a review process. These datasets are typically associated with a written study published in an academic journal, which describes how and why the data were collected and analyzed. Before being accepted for publication, users are required to provide enough supporting information that others can understand the attributes and values in the dataset and how they were obtained.

    Review of each submitted data package follows a predefined procedure:
    Reviewing Dataset

    How are data packages in the repository licensed?

    Data packages in the Movebank Data Repository are licensed using one of three Creative Commons licenses: Creative Commons Universal (CC0), Attribution (CC BY) or Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC). This ensures that data we maintain in this long-term repository will be available for future reuse.

    What is a DOI?

    A DOI (digital object identifier) is a stable, permanent, unique and secure identifier. This identifier will not change over time (in the way that a link or URL can) and is an unambiguous way of referring to and providing access to the published version of a dataset, article, or other work. The DOI should be included in all citations of the data package, for example if it is referred to in an article or listed on a CV. Digital object identifiers in the Movebank Data Repository are issued through the Communication, Information, Media Centre of the University of Konstanz, which is part of the TIB DOI Konsortium, and are managed through DataCite, a non-profit organization that promotes data access, citation, and reuse.

    Are there publication fees?

    Review, publication and archiving of datasets in the Movebank Data Repository is currently free of charge to data owners. The costs of curation, software, storage and maintenance are paid for by the Max Planck Society and the Communication, Information, Media Centre at the University of Konstanz. Read more about Movebank's funding.

    How does the repository address disclosure risk?

    All data published in the repository are made public, and we ask data owners to consider any risk to animals or people involved in their research in deciding whether to submit data for publication. Data depositors must confirm that they are authorized to make the data public, that they have considered any relevant risk disclosure and ethical implications of making the data publicly available, and that data were collected in compliance with relevant ethical guidelines, permits, and animal care and use protocols.

    How to publish

    What is a data package?

    A published data package in the Movebank Data Repository will consist of multiple files - most commonly a file containing time-location records from tracked animals, a file containing information about the animals, tags and deployments in the study, and a readme file. A DOI is assigned to the entire group of files that compose the published data package.

    What is a MoveApps Workflow?

    MoveApps is a free analysis platform for animal tracking data. Users can combine analysis modules (apps) that access and analyze tracking data into Workflows. These Workflows can be shared with other users, made publicly available to all MoveApps users or published and archived with an DOI in the Movebank Data Repository.

    How do I prepare and submit my data?

    To prepare a dataset to submit to the Movebank Data Repository, see the "Submission and review" section of the Submission Guidelines.

    Why should I publish my data?

    Animal movement data have a tremendous value in their own right, in addition to the value of papers and reports that describe and interpret these data. In most cases, the data collection was funded by taxpayers. For these reasons and others, journals and funding institutions are increasingly requiring that data underlying completed and published research be publicly archived. In the same way that you publish papers describing your research so that others can build on your findings, publishing your data allows future researchers to access these data and use them for conservation programs, meta-analyses and as records of biodiversity and animal movements and behavior.

    Publishing your data in a disciplinary repository like the Movebank Data Repository is generally preferred over sharing through supplemental materials or by request. Research indicates that supplemental materials (Anderson et al. 2006) and sharing upon request do not reliably maintain access to data over time (Vines et al. 2014), even when owners have agreed to sharing as a precondition for publication or funding of their research (Wicherts et al. 2006, Couture et al. 2018, Stodden et al. 2018).

    After submitting a dataset for publication, Movebank will review your data, ensuring that it is consistent with your written analysis of the data and that it is thoroughly described so it can be understood by others. We then publish the data with a DOI that will always link to your data and can be cited by others and included as a publication on your CV. As with written publications, ethics and norms require that others provide proper acknowledgement of references to or re-use of other researchers' data and ideas. Lastly, so that your published data can be discovered more widely, we are working to make the repository searchable by the growing number of biodiversity and research data repositories.

    Can I use the Movebank Data Repository to fulfill data-sharing requirements?

    Many research funding agencies and academic journals now have rigorous data-sharing policies requiring scientists to make their data available to other researchers. Movebank and the Movebank Data Repository provide an efficient way for scientists to comply with these types of policies. Contact us at movebank.datarep@uni-konstanz.de for help in preparing a data management plan or fulfilling specific requirements.

    Why do data have to be uploaded to Movebank before they can be published in the repository?

    When data are imported to Movebank, they are converted to a shared format. For example, all location coordinates in Movebank use the WGS84 reference system, and all timestamps are stored using the same format and time zone. All data attributes are defined and documented by Movebank's vocabulary. Further, Movebank's viewing and editing tools support thorough, efficient data review by our curation staff and data owners. Requiring that data are in this format and viewable in Movebank allows us to review the data and ensures consistency across published data packages.

    Can I place an embargo on the publication of my data?

    An embargo is a delay in full access to published works. We encourage releasing data as soon as possible after they are accepted for publication and the data review is complete, or when the written analysis is published or made publicly available online. We will discuss this timing with you during the review process. We can offer a one-year embargo if this is acceptable to the journal or funders you are working with. If you wish to place a longer embargo on your study, please contact us directly at movebank.datarep@uni-konstanz.de to discuss.

    Can I publish my data but restrict access to it?

    Because we cannot guarantee long-term access to data if access is restricted, we do not publish data with restrictions on data access or use. However, we do recognize that there are sometimes good reasons to restrict access, for example if data collection is ongoing or public exposure could pose a threat to animals. In these cases, you could consider publishing a version that removes sensitive or more recent portions of the dataset, or in a reduced resolution. Movebank offers other options for sharing data without publishing it. For more information, see the following:

    How to access and use published data

    How do I access published works?

    You can browse or search data packages and workflows published in the Movebank Data Repository to find works of interest. The landing page for each data package and workflow contains links to the data files and recommended citations.

    If you have a DOI for a data package published in Movebank, go to https://www.doi.org to be directed to the package's landing page.

    How do I cite publications from the Movebank Data Repository?

    The landing page for each published work includes a recommended citation. See the citation guidelines from Movebank and MoveApps for additional examples. for additional examples.

    Can I re-use published data for a new purpose?

    Data from the Movebank Data Repository are published under Creative Commons licenses and so may be reused without additional permission. For works published with a CC BY or CC BY-NC license, follow the requirements that require attribution or prohibit commercial uses. For all published data, we expect that users follow the same norms that prohibit scientific misconduct and plagiarism generally: as with published written works, works published in the repository must still be cited as appropriate following professional and ethical standards. Further, we highly recommend that you try to contact the data creator if you will be re-analyzing data. Researchers will likely be interested in learning about new uses of their data - they might also have important insight about how to properly analyze and interpret their data and/or additional data they would be willing to contribute to your project. Also see the following resources:

    Does the Movebank Data Repository have an API?

    The Movebank Data Repository hosts a REST API, and is based on the open-source DSpace repository software which offers API documentation. In addition, you can search metadata of published data packages and workflows stored at DataCite, as described in the DataCite API. Finally, Movebank has a REST API that can be used to access data from the Movebank study that complements published data packages.