Looking for data sets to be used in teaching and RDM training? Check out the list below!

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This is a list of well documented training datasets covering different data types and different aspects of research data management for use in research data management training. 

What are training datasets

Training datasets are essential for the effective teaching and training of young researchers. They form the basis for teaching data skills and analysis methods. Here, we are refering to datasets used in tutorials on research data management, as demo data set in tools or methods, or as examples for challenges in data handling. This definition does not cover datasets used to train AI applications.

To be labelled as a training dataset they have to:

  • be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
  • be freely available, with an appropriate license and open data format.
  • be of reasonable size.
  • be citable.
  • enable easy-to-understand but interesting questions to be addressed.
  • be sufficiently documented.
  • be either “perfect” or datasets with didactic errors.

For an overview, check the Poster on What are training datasets in the context of NFDI4Biodiversity (in German): Signer, J., Schlägel, U., Tschink, D., & Röder, J. (2024). Trainingsdatensätze. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13805722

Training datasets help to illustrate all stages of the data life cycle (DLC), e.g.

  • Metadata standards to describe and structure (newly collected) data
  • (Reproducible) processing of data
  • (Reproducible) data analysis
  • Workflows to archive, share and publish data for personal and/or public re-use
















Figure 1: Data life cycle. Source: RDMkit: The ELIXIR Research Data Management toolkit for Life Sciences URL: https://rdmkit.elixir-europe.org

Biological Datasets

Natur conservation

Biology

Forestry

Genetics

Taxnomy, Traits

Animal Tracking

Time Series

Spatial Data

Environmental Datasets

Land cover

Other Collections


List of references (to be deleted after citations are distributed - style Journal of Applied Ecology):

Ammer, C., Annighöfer, P., Balkenhol, N., Hertel, D., Leuschner, C., Polle, A., Lamersdorf, N., Scheu, S., & Glatthorn, J. (2020). RTG 2300—Study design, location, topography and climatic conditions of research plots in 2020 (p. 470 data points) [Text/tab-separated-values]. PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.923125
Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin. (2025). OpenRefine Training Dataset based on a subset of the BGBM Herbarium (Version 1.0) [Dataset]. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Berlin. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.14918375
Bröcher, M., Meyer, S. T., Leher, A. G., & Ebeling, A. (2025). Ecological traits for 1374 arthropod species collected in a German grassland. Ecology, 106(4), e70077. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70077
Broekman, M. J. E., Hoeks, S., Freriks, R., Langendoen, M. M., Runge, K. M., Savenco, E., Ter Harmsel, R., Huijbregts, M. A. J., & Tucker, M. A. (2023). HomeRange: A global database of mammalian home ranges. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 32(2), 198–205. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13625
Bundesanstalt Für Gewässerkunde. (2019). Harbour seal counts in the Elbe Estuary, Germany, between Wedel and Cuxhaven in 2018/2019 (p. 451 data points) [Text/tab-separated-values]. PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.907670
Cateau, E., Debaive, N., Drapier, N., Chantreau, F., Gilg, O., Laroche, F., Morin, X., Demets, V., Pimenta, R., Thompson, L., & Paillet, Y. (2024). Tree inventory data from permanent plots in F rench forest reserves. Ecology, 105(7), e4324. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4324
Che‐Castaldo, C., & Crisafulli, C. M. (2023). Long‐term monitoring of M ount St. H elens micrometeorology. Ecology, 104(3), e3950. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3950
Cloyed, C. S., & Dell, A. I. (2020). The body size and temperature dependence of organismal locomotion. Ecology, 101(10), e03114. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3114
Da Costa‐Pinto, A. L., Bovendorp, R. S., Bocchiglieri, A., Caccavo, A., Delciellos, A. C., Malhado, A. C., De Almeida, A. K. R., Braga, C., Loretto, D., Câmara, E. M. V. C., Menezes, F. H., Guilhon, G., Paise, G., Sobral, G., Varjão, I. C. G., Ferreira, J. V. A., Da Silva Oliveira, L., Geise, L., Pereira, L. C. M., … Ladle, R. J. (2023). Small mammals from the C aatinga: A dataset for the B razilian semiarid biome. Ecology, 104(1), e3879. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3879
Fichtmueller, D. (2025). OpenRefine—Hands On. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.14732682
Fruhner, M., Tapken, H., & Stroetmann, E. (2024). Images of 175 individual animals of five distinct taxonomic groups: Camels, penguins, goats, tortoises and toads (ZooMix ID) (p. 3356 data points) [Text/tab-separated-values]. PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.967637
Giglio, V. J., Adelir‐Alves, J., Balzaretti Merino, N., Bravo‐Olivas, M. L., Camp, E. F., Casoli, E., Chávez‐Dagostino, R. M., Ferretti, E., Fraser, D., Grillo, A. C., Jiménez‐Guiérrez, S., Leite, K. L., Lucrezi, S., Luiz, O. J., Luna‐Pérez, B., McBride, J., Milanese, M., Moity, N., Pinheiro, J. V., … Ferreira, C. E. L. (2025). DiverReef: A global database of the behavior of recreational divers and their interactions with reefs over 20 years. Ecology, 106(2), e4519. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4519
Glatthorn, J., & Parth, A. (2021). RTG 2300—Tree census data—Winter 2017/2018 (p. 112643 data points) [Text/tab-separated-values]. PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.932023
Grilo, C., Neves, T., Bates, J., Le Roux, A., Medrano-Vizcaíno, P., Quaranta, M., Silva, I., Soanes, K., Wang, Y., Data Collection Consortium, Abate, S. D., D’ Abra, F., Cedeño, S. A., De Alencar, P. R., De Almeida, M. F. P., Alves, M. H., Alves, P., De Assis, A. A., Ament, R., … Guinard, E. (2025). Global Roadkill Data: A dataset on terrestrial vertebrate mortality caused by collision with vehicles. Scientific Data, 12(1), 505. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-04207-x
Martin, J. M., Short, R. A., Plumb, G. E., Markewicz, L., Van Vuren, D. H., Wehus‐Tow, B., Otárola‐Castillo, E., & Hill, M. E. (2023). Integrated evidence‐based extent of occurrence for North American bison ( Bison bison ) since 1500 CE and before. Ecology, 104(1), e3864. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3864
Massimino, D., Baillie, S. R., Balmer, D. E., Bashford, R. I., Gregory, R. D., Harris, S. J., Heywood, J. J. N., Kelly, L. A., Noble, D. G., Pearce‐Higgins, J. W., Raven, M. J., Risely, K., Woodcock, P., Wotton, S. R., & Gillings, S. (2025). The Breeding Bird Survey of the United Kingdom. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 34(1), e13943. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13943
Mendes, C. P., Albert, W. R., Amir, Z., Ancrenaz, M., Ash, E., Azhar, B., Bernard, H., Brodie, J., Bruce, T., Carr, E., Clements, G. R., Davies, G., Deere, N. J., Dinata, Y., Donnelly, C. A., Duangchantrasiri, S., Fredriksson, G., Goossens, B., Granados, A., … Luskin, M. S. (2024). CamTrapAsia: A dataset of tropical forest vertebrate communities from 239 camera trapping studies. Ecology, 105(6), e4299. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4299
Robbins, C. J., Norman, B. C., Halvorson, H. M., Manning, D. W. P., Bastias, E., Biasi, C., Dodd, A. K., Eckert, R. A., Gossiaux, A., Jabiol, J., Mehring, A. S., & Pastor, A. (2023). Nutrient and stoichiometric time series measurements of decomposing coarse detritus in freshwaters. Ecology, 104(8), e4114. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4114
Rooney, B., Kays, R., Cove, M. V., Jensen, A., Goldstein, B. R., Pate, C., Castiblanco, P., Abell, M. E., Adley, J., Agenbroad, B., Ahlers, A. A., Alexander, P. D., Allen, D., Allen, M. L., Alston, J. M., Alyetama, M., Anderson, T. L., Andrade, R., Anhalt‐Depies, C., … McShea, W. J. (2025). SNAPSHOT USA 2019–2023: The First Five Years of Data From a Coordinated Camera Trap Survey of the United States. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 34(1), e13941. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13941
Schrader‐Patton, C. C., Underwood, E. C., & Sorenson, Q. M. (2023). Annual biomass spatial data for southern California (2001–2021): Above‐ and belowground, standing dead, and litter. Ecology, 104(5), e4031. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4031
Visser, F., Merten, V., Bayer, T., Oudejans, M. G., de Jonge, D., Puebla, O., Reusch, T. B. H., Fuss, J., & Hoving, H.-J. T. (2021). Environmental DNA analysis of cephalopods off the Azores (p. 10 data points) [Text/tab-separated-values]. PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.926840
Yurlov, A. K., Yurlova, N. I., Garyushkina, M. Yu., Selivanova, M. A., & Doi, H. (2022). Long-term observation of the egg and chick size in the nests of Larus ichthyaetus in Lake Chany, Russia. Scientific Data, 9(1), 372. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01454-8





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