Feature


g


and data to images, video files and code, and according to Hyndman, the repository has seen exponential growth here. But interestingly, the company has discovered that its most cited format is code. ‘Researchers write little bits of software then they make this available - we’re seeing other researchers using this code and then citing that in their papers,’ says Hyndman. ‘We really didn’t expect this but it’s actually a very nice way for a researcher to receive credit. Academia is a cut-throat industry so when it comes to your post-doctoral research and beyond you really need to prove your research has as much impact as possible.’


Braving the barriers


So as the data-sharing mandates, rewards and incentives increase, progress looks set to continue. But despite the results, issues persist. In the recent Digital Science report: The State of Open Data 2019, confusion over the licences used to make data openly available was raised by researcher authors, yet again. Researcher uncertainties over FAIR principles, which ensure that data can be effectively re-used, remained. As pro-vice-provost, University College


London Library Services, Paul Ayris wrote in the report: ‘There is a need for co-ordinated skills development to train researchers in what is needed to deliver FAIR data and, indeed, in adopting open data as the norm. Is there a need for a new profession of data curators who can take on this role for research groups?’


8 Research Information April/May 2020


“One additional concern


consistently rears its ugly head more than most; trust”


Van Rossum concurs: ‘Implementing FAIR principles is a collective effort and all the actors that participate in this ecosystem should do their part.’ For his part, Hrynaszkiewicz points out


how some publishers are already providing data-sharing and curating services as well as research training via libraries. And he also believes that integrating publishing systems with data repositories helps researchers to more easily deposit data into repositories. Merrett, however, takes a different tack, and is keen to highlight the pitfalls of trying to adopt open data in less developed nations. ‘With the rise of heavily research- intensive universities, so many researchers have this Western Ideal and assume that everyone in their field can access the same resources that they can. But I’ve been on conference calls to say, researchers in Africa, where they talk about infrastructure needs such as electricity,’ she adds. ‘So we can’t just assume that someone will have the latest MATLAB software.’ Still, be it licensing, FAIR principles, streamlining platforms or resources, one


additional concern consistently rears its ugly head more than most; trust. Hrynaszkiewicz outlined this critical issue in The State of Open Data 2019 after some 2,000 researchers had expressed concerns over data misuse. As he also pointed out, the latest results had echoed past surveys, which when combined with the latest survey, totalled many thousands of researchers’ opinions. ‘Trust is a collection of different issues,’


he says. ‘These include fear that work may be misinterpreted, fear that data can be used for a purpose that wasn’t intended and also the fear of scooping, where other researchers find new opportunities to use that data.’ According to the PLOS Publisher,


technological features such as sharing data privately in repositories before publication can help to allay such fears, but he believes that trust is more of a cultural, rather than a technological issue. So what’s the answer? In line with Ayris’ and Rossum’s calls


to train researchers on FAIR principles, Hrynaszkiewicz reckons training could relieve trust concerns. What’s more, he is also sure that the ongoing implementation of solid journal data policies is helping the issue. ‘We really do need to think creatively about the role of stakeholders and publishers to create a culture where sharing data is more common and rewarding,’ he concludes. ‘I don’t have all the answers to this but we must all continue to try to address this issue.’


@researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info


TierneyMJ/Shutterstock.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36