The potential for reusing research data is inextricably tied to how discoverable these data are to other researchers. Currently in Canada, cross-disciplinary discovery of research data is limited. This article discusses the processes followed and results achieved by the Portage Data Discovery Metadata Working Group in its efforts to support the development of the Federated Research Data Repository discovery service in Canada. Ideas around metadata standards, best practices for harvesting research data, developing common data models, and challenges associated with linking research data to other research outputs are explored.