A considerable number of databases created through Japanese public research funds are now under unstable management or use an outdated publication methodology; therefore, future access to the research results these databases contain cannot be guaranteed. Here, we examined the current status of databases listed in two major sources, Grant-in-Aid-funded databases and the National Diet Library Database Navigation Service (Dnavi), and reaffirmed this problematic situation. To ensure the sustainability of these databases, the Research Data Task Force of the Japan Consortium for Open Access Repository (JPCOAR) is currently testing a workflow for the transfer of contents from unstable databases to institutional repositories.

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