Institutional factors and personal responsibilities are often cited as key motivators for researchers to archive their data. Archiving is often in the interest of fundersFunding institutions are organizations that provide financial support for scientific research, such as foundations, associations, or other entities. Internationally, most of these institutions have established guidelines for research data management (RDM) in research projects, meaning that potential funding is tied to specific requirements and expectations for handling research data. Some of the most well-known funding institutions in German-speaking countries include the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the education and science ministries of the federal states, the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Volkswagen Foundation, the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF). Read More and institutions that financially support the research. Access to archived data allows third parties to conduct follow-up research with new questions or comparative studies, potentially resulting in new research perspectives. Furthermore, existing data can be used as example materials in teaching, particularly in methodological training.

Many researchers also feel personally responsible for archiving their data, recognizing its potential historical significance. Research data can document local ways of life that often no longer exist in the same form as they did at the time of the research.