SAB NewsBenefits of Data SharingPosted 4/26/2004 The Science Advisory Board examined various motivations as to why researchers and clinicians share data. Of the 1330 participants in a recent Instant Poll, 45% believe that the most important reason to share data is to promote new research. While not as popular a basis to share data, 34% of respondents felt that it encourages a diversity of analysis. Another 17% believe that the primary motive for sharing should be because it helps to educate new researchers. Only 4% think sharing data should occur principally because it leads to the creation of new databases. “In the big picture, data sharing is essential for efficiently translating basic research into the tools and technologies that can be used to guide new research directions, which ultimately result in improvements to human health,” asserts Tamara Zemlo, Ph.D., MPH, Director of The Science Advisory Board. Besides facilitating the research enterprise, data sharing has very practical advantages. It avoids unnecessary duplication of experiments and thus saves valuable laboratory resources. While having the potential to benefit others by conserving research funds, researchers who readily share their results directly help themselves by building their scientific reputation. While all kinds of research data should be considered candidates for sharing, unique data sets are especially important. Expensive research studies (e.g., long-term epidemiological studies), special circumstances (e.g., health effects associated with a toxic exposure), or rare populations (e.g., genetic mapping of a uncommon disease) are the types of data that are often difficult or even impossible to duplicate. In contrast, data from smaller investigations involving approaches that are easily replicated or data from human subjects that might identify the participants are not as critical to share with others. At all times, The Science Advisory Board affirms that the rights and privacy of individuals who participate in research studies must be shielded, and patentable and other proprietary data should also be protected. |
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