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Item types

There is a default list of item types available for items created in Figshare. There are also non-default item types that can be added to your Figshare portal if you use Figshare for Institutions. Non-default item types are not configurable on a per-account basis. To add these non-default item types, please contact support@figshare.com.

The below list also indicates which item types are indexed by Google Scholar, Google Dataset Search, and Google Book Search.


Figshare Item TypeDefaultIndexed byDescription
FigureYes Figures are generally photos, graphs and static images that would be represented in traditional pdf publications.
MediaYes Media is any form of research output that is recorded and played. This is most commonly video, but can be audio or 3D representations.
DatasetYesGoogle Dataset SearchDatasets usually provide raw data for analysis. This raw data often comes in spreadsheet form, but can be any collection of data, on which analysis can be performed.
PosterYes Poster sessions are particularly prominent at academic conferences. Posters are usually one frame of a powerpoint (or similar) presentation and are represented at full resolution to make them zoomable.
Journal contributionYesScholarAny type of content formally published in an academic journal, usually following a peer-review process.
Conference contributionYesScholarAny type of content contributed to an academic conference, such as papers, presentations, lectures or proceedings.
PreprintYesScholarPreprints are manuscripts made publicly available before they have been submitted for formal peer review and publication. They might contain new research findings or data. Preprints can be a draft or final version of an authors' research but must not have been accepted for publication at the time of submission.
PresentationYes Academic presentations can be uploaded in their original slide format. Presentations are usually represented as slide decks. Videos of presentations can be uploaded as media.
ThesisYesScholarIn order to distinguish essays and pre-prints from academic theses, we have a separate category. These are often much longer text based documents than a paper.
SoftwareYes Code as a research output can either be uploaded directly from your computer or through the code management system GitHub. Versioning of code repositories is supported.
BookYesGoogle Book Search (+Scholar)Books are generally long-form documents, a specialist work of writing that contains multiple chapters or a detailed written study.
Online resourceYes Any type of resource available online.
ChapterNoScholarDivision of a book, which in a scholarly context usually treats a part of a larger subject in a stand-alone manner.
Peer reviewNo The evaluation of a scholarly work, usually performed before formal publication by a number of field experts.
Educational resourceNo Any type of content useful for teaching, learning or research in an educational context.
ReportNo A formal account of an observation, investigation, finding, activity or any other type of information.
StandardNo A formal and detailed description of an invention, protocol or workflow; examples include patents, patent applications and requests for comments (RFC).
CompositionNo A creative work in a fine art context, such as a piece of music or a poem.
FundingNo A resource describing various aspects related to the funding of a research venture, such as funding agency, amount, grant name or recipient.
Physical objectNo A record describing any type of physical object, such as a work of art, instrument or archaeological artefact.
Data management planNo Data management plans are an integral part of a research venture, describing what data will be collected or created and how, and also the means by which it will be shared and preserved.
WorkflowNo Resource describing protocols, procedures, methods or activities part of a scientific experiment.
MonographNoGoogle Book SearchA non-serial scholarly publication (either one or multiple finite volumes).
PerformanceNo The presentation of a theatrical play or music concert within a fine art context.
EventNo Information on the purpose, location, duration, agents or effects of an occurrence such as a conference, performance, natural phenomenon, or conflagration.
ServiceNo A system supplying a research need, such as a facility, instrument or API.
ModelNo A formal representation of any system, entity, phenomenon or structure useful in the research endeavour.
RegistrationNo Description of a research project, including, for example, the hypotheses, data collection plans, or scripts, provided before any actual experiment or analysis is performed.

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