Geoscience Data Journal provides an Open Access platform where scientific data can be formally published, in a way that includes scientific peer-review. Thus the dataset creator attains full credit for their efforts, while also improving the scientific record, providing version control for the community and allowing major datasets to be fully described, cited and discovered.An online-only journal, GDJ publishes short data papers cross-linked to – and citing – datasets that have been deposited in approved data centres and awarded DOIs. The journal will also accept articles on data services, and articles which support and inform data publishing best practices.Data is at the heart of science and scientific endeavour. The curation of data and the science associated with it is as important as ever in our understanding of the changing earth system and thereby enabling us to make future predictions. Geoscience Data Journal is working with recognised Data Centres across the globe to develop the future strategy for data publication, the recognition of the value of data and the communication and exploitation of data to the wider science and stakeholder communities.