Open Science Framework

Last updated: 19 May 2025 at 16:33.

OSF is a free and open source project management tool that supports researchers throughout their entire project lifecycle. It not only allows sharing documents with collaborators, but also allows uploading data, preregistrations and preprints for each project. 

General information

Type of service: Data storage, Project management, Repository
Service homepage: https://osf.io/
Provider: Center of Open Science (COS)
Provider homepage: https://cos.io/
Provides end-user support: supported

Administrative information

Data curation strategy:
Metrics: OSF Projects have their own built-in analytics to track popular pages and number of visits over time. You can view the impact of any public project by clicking its Analytics tab.
Funding source: COS is supported through grants from a variety of supporters, including federal agencies, private foundations, and commercial entities.
Intellectual property: You can add a license to your project to allow others to copy, distribute, and make use of your data while allowing you to retain copyright.
User agreement: https://github.com/CenterForOpenScience/cos.io/blob/master/TERMS_OF_USE.md
Contact: https://help.osf.io/ or Support@cos.io

Target group

Target audience(s): Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Stage in research process: After, During

Costs

Costs: Free for private projects and components utilizing OSF Storage to 5 GB and public projects and components to 50 GB.

Classification of the service

Confidentiality classifications for data: Internal / Restricted, Public

Additional information

Additional information: You can choose where your data will be stored (in Europe: Germany).

Formats

Accepted metadata formats:
Accepted file formats: All file formats.
Supported data type(s): Audiovisual data, Configuration data, Databases, Images, Network-based data, Plain text, Raw data, Scientific and statistical data formats, Standard office documents, Structured graphics, Structured text

Storage

Maximum size of data: No applied overall cap on the amount of storage per user but the capacity of private projects and components is 5 GB per project and public projects and components is 50 GB per project. Max 5 GB per file.
Version management: supported
Quality control: unsupported

Access

Access requirements:
Tools/Interfaces for access: Web-interface and API (see https://developer.osf.io/)
Supported type(s) of persistent identifiers: DOI

Preservation

Long term guarantees: COS established a $400,000 preservation fund for hosted data in the event that COS had to curtail or close its offices. If activated, the preservation fund will preserve and maintain read access to hosted data. This fund is sufficient for 50+ years of read access hosting at present costs. COS will incorporate growth of the preservation fund as part of its funding model as data storage scales. Registrations on ths OSF are preserved though our external partner Internet Archive For information about OSF backups and technical preservation details, see the OSF Backup and Preservation Policy.