We are pleased to report that Molecular Ecology is now the first journal to surpass 1000 data packages in Dryad! Our latest featured data package is the one that took Molecular Ecology past the goalposts:

• Bolnick D, Snowberg L, Caporaso G, Lauber C, Knight R, Stutz W (2014) Major Histocompatibility Complex class IIb polymorphism influences gut microbiota composition and diversity. Molecular Ecology doi:10.1111/mec.12846
• Bolnick D, Snowberg L, Stutz W, Caporaso G, Lauber C, Knight R (2014) Data from: Major Histocompatibility Complex class IIb polymorphism influences gut microbiota composition and diversity. Dryad Digital Repository doi:10.5061/dryad.2s07s

Why so many data packages from Molecular Ecology?  It is likely due to a few factors.  One, Molecular Ecology publishes a lot of papers (445 in 2012 according to Journal Citation Reports) and have had integrated data and manuscript submission with Dryad since 2010.  Two, the field works with many datatypes for which no specialized repository exists.  Three, Molecular Ecology not only began requiring data archiving in 2011 when it adopted the Joint Data Archiving Policy, but actually goes beyond JDAP by requiring a completed data availability statement in each article, something that managing editor Tim Vines and his colleagues have shown to be associated with very high rates of data archiving. Four, since Dryad introduced Data Publishing Charges, Molecular Ecology has been sponsoring those charges on behalf of its authors.

Other journals looking to support data archiving in their fields would do well to look at Molecular Ecology as a model.