The Typology of Data Uses is a community-developed framework created by the FORCE11 Data Usage Typologies Working Group to describe how data are accessed, used, and applied across research and other contexts. Rather than focusing only on data reuse, the typology captures a broad spectrum of data use activities through three overarching dimensions—Access, User, and Application—and 13 categories that can be combined to characterize a specific instance of data use.
Understanding how data are used is increasingly important for demonstrating the value of data sharing, informing infrastructure investments, and supporting evidence-based policy and funding decisions. The typology provides a common language for documenting and analyzing data use in a consistent way, helping repositories, funders, publishers, and researchers move beyond simple counts of downloads or citations toward a richer understanding of the many ways data create impact.
By offering a structured yet flexible approach, the typology enables organizations to better track patterns of data use, identify emerging needs, and recognize diverse forms of data contribution and reuse. It is intended as a foundation for future metadata recommendations and interoperable reporting practices that can support more transparent and meaningful assessment of data’s role in research and society.
The typology can be helpful across multiple assessment moments, including:
- Individual Recruitment, Hiring, and Promotion: Researchers can use the typology’s “Application” and “User” dimensions within Narrative CVs to contextualize how their shared data has influenced policy, industry, or society. This helps evaluators prioritize the intrinsic quality and significance of data contributions rather than relying on simple download counts.
- Grant and Funding Allocation: In grant proposals, applicants can use the framework to articulate potential data impact and track-record feasibility more consistently across disciplines. Funding organizations can adopt the typology as part of a structured assessment matrix to evaluate data-sharing plans during peer review.
- Evaluation of Research Units: Institutions can apply the typology to unit self-evaluation reports to demonstrate how their research data aligns with the organization’s mission, such as fostering innovation or addressing societal challenges. It serves as a tool for formative assessment, identifying where a unit’s data is creating impact and where emerging needs exist.
- Institutional Reporting and Infrastructure: Organizations can integrate the typology into Research Management Systems (CRIS) to standardize how they track and report on diverse forms of data contribution. This supports the transition toward open research information infrastructures that are transparent and verified by the community
- Institutional and Internal Communications: Communication teams can use the typology to identify and celebrate impactful data stories in newsletters or annual reports, emphasizing societal benefit.
Bobrov, E., Broadhurst, R., Byers, N., Erdmann, C., Genova, F., Hellström, M., Kemp, J., Puebla, I., & FORCE11 Data Usage Typologies Working Group. (2026). Typology of Data Uses: An output of the FORCE11 Data Usage Typologies Working Group. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19184004
Puebla, I., Genova, F., Monica Morrison, M. (2026). Typology of Data Uses: A tool to capture consistent, actionable insights into the uses of data. Front Matter. https://doi.org/10.54900/37xnm-pg324