A space to explore, share and shape the issues facing social and behavioral scientists
Where sharing industry information was once thought of as “giving away the farm,” it has since grown into its role as a commonplace technique capable of generating big results.
The editor–in-chief of the ‘Psychological Science’ explains why the journal is now encouraging authors to share the data and materials behind their research with their reviewers.
Who me? Share my data with strangers? Aren’t they my competitors? Would they use my data to criticize me? Would they take the credit (through publication) for my hard work? Would they understand my data well enough to arrive at valid results and conclusions? I recognize the importance of data sharing in some fields, but …
A new survey of the British public finds it has serious concerns about sharing data with just about everyone, even with institutions is otherwise respects deeply.
The value of sharing research data is widely recognised by the research community and funders are setting in place stronger policy requirements for researchers to share data. But the costs to researchers in sharing their data can be considerable and the incentives are sometimes few and far between. A recent report from the cross-disciplinary Expert Advisory Group on Data Access highlights the need for a shift in cultures to provide greater support for researchers in sharing data and greater recognition for those who do it well.
