A Member Node is any preservation-oriented repository that exposes its data products through the DataONE service specification, or Member Node API. DataONE's flexible architecture and software products allow practically any organization wishing to maintain a Member Node repository to do so.
In becoming a Member Node your organization benefits by:

Reaching a Wider Audience
Data collections exposed through the DataONE API are discoverable by a wider audience, and ready-for-use by a wider number of analytical tools.

Leveraging Existing Cyberinfrastructure
Through the Investigator Toolkit approach, DataONE actively supports both existing data tools as well as new tools to be built to interact with DataONE-registered data objects.

Receiving Recognition and Credit
Your published data products are easily citable, and with a wider exposure, you increase the value of your organization's work by receiving credit through data citations in published literature.

Maintaining High Availability
DataONE has the ability to replicate content across Member Nodes. With replicas available in other locations the costs associated with serving a world-wide community is minimized and availability is optimized.

Enhancing Collaboration Opportunities
Scientists discovering your work can also lead to opportunities for collaboration in the future. By simply limiting access to project data to collaboration partners, DataONE members can share project data without the need for case-by-case data-sharing arrangements.