Zenodo, the catch-all repository that allows researchers to archive and share their outputs with the world-wide research community, has rolled out an important update to how deposited records can be modified or deleted. The new process gives users more autonomy shortly after publication, while maintaining the integrity of citations and DOIs over time.
Whether you’ve shared a publication, dataset, software release, or poster, you now have more control in the first 30 days, and clearer procedures afterwards.
A common scenario
You’ve just uploaded your record to Zenodo (publication, dataset, etc.). A few days later, you realise the wrong version slipped in, a file with missing variables that could mislead anyone reusing your work. You panic for a moment… but then remember you can still fix it.
That’s exactly the kind of situation this update aims to help with.
What’s new
Users can now modify or delete their own record (or the files inside it) within 30 days after publication, no support ticket required.
After 30 days, deletion is still possible but now requires submitting a short justification for review by the Zenodo Support team.
And even when a record is removed, Zenodo automatically leaves a “tombstone” page behind, ensuring citations and links do not break.
Why this matters for you
More control over your published work
Publish something by mistake? You can correct or delete it yourself within the first month, quickly and without waiting for support.
Better protection of the scholarly record
After 30 days, your record may have already been cited or shared. The review step protects the integrity of those links and citations, protecting both your reputation and the broader research ecosystem.
Transparency through “tombstones”
Deleted records keep a simple placeholder so references don’t break, maintaining clarity and trust in your outputs.
Smoother workflows, fewer errors
You can publish sooner without fear of permanent mistakes, while older content remains protected from accidental deletion.
How to use the updated process
Double-check before publishing to avoid later complications.
If you need to delete a recent record, go to Manage record → Delete record
If your record is older than 30 days, submit a deletion request with a short justification. You can monitor the request via My Dashboard once logged in.
If you’re unsure whether to delete or update, reach out, sometimes publishing a new version is enough.
A detailed step-by-step guide is available in Zenodo here.
This update gives you more flexibility, safer management of research outputs, and stronger preservation of citations and trust.
It empowers users while keeping the scholarly record reliable and transparent.
As always, we’re continuously working to improve our services based on the community’s needs. If you have questions or feedback, we encourage you to reach out to the team via the Support page, and for any support for other OpenAIRE services, please reach out via our Helpdesk.
