Data sharing, small science and institutional repositories

Abstract

Results are presented from the Data Curation Profiles project research, on who is willing to share what data with whom and when. Emerging from scientists’ discussions on sharing are several dimensions suggestive of the variation in both what it means ‘to share’ and how these processes are carried out. This research indicates that data curation services will need to accommodate a wide range of subdisciplinary data characteristics and sharing practices. As part of a larger set of strategies emerging across academic institutions, institutional repositories (IRs) will contribute to the stewardship and mobilization of scientific research data for e-Research and learning. There will be particular types of data that can be managed well in an IR context when characteristics and practices are well understood. Findings from this study elucidate scientists’ views on ‘sharable’ forms of data—the particular representation that they view as most valued for reuse by others within their own research areas—and the anticipated duration for such reuse. Reported sharing incidents that provide insights into barriers to sharing and related concerns on data misuse are included.