A discipline specific repository collects data of a particular type or on a particular topic. This makes it easier for users to focus on finding what they need - why sort through pages of sequencing files if you know you need brain imaging data? It also means that a researcher submitting data can rest assured that the repository will be able to support their data types and provide specialized metadata standards. 

If your data type or subject has a discipline specific repository, we highly recommend that you use it. Discipline specific repositories often better accommodate the needs specific to the data types they support than a general repository; there is also a better chance that your work will be found, reused, and cited by others in your field, who are likely searching discipline specific repositories for the data they need. 

Below you can read about some of the commonly used repositories for three major subjects, and learn how to find repositories for whatever domain you work in. 

If you would like to submit to a discipline specific repository and don't see your domain in the boxes above, there are still plenty of options. The National Library of Medicine keeps a list of discipline specific repositories supported by the NIH, which can be filtered by topic, access type, and model system.

You can also search the repository registery re3data, which collects information about hundreds of repositories across disciplines, biomedical and otherwise. Filtering by subject will allow you to narrow your options to repositories that accept or even focus on data within your particular research domain.