Perceptions and Opinions Towards Data-Sharing: A Survey of Addiction Journal Editorial Board Members

Abstract

Background We surveyed addiction journal editorial board members to better understand their opinions towards data-sharing. Methods Survey items consisted of Likert-type (e.g., one to five scale), multiple-choice, and free-response questions. Journal websites were searched for names and email addresses. Emails were distributed using SurveyMonkey. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the responses. Results We received 178 responses (of 1039; 17.1%). Of these, 174 individuals agreed to participate in our study (97.8%). Most respondents did not know whether their journal had a data-sharing policy. Board members “somewhat agree” that addiction journals should recommend but not require data-sharing for submitted manuscripts [M=4.09 (SD=0.06); 95% CI: 3.97-4.22]. Items with the highest perceived benefit ratings were “secondary data use (e.g., meta-analysis)” [M=3.44 (SD=0.06); 95% CI: 3.31-3.56] and “increased transparency” [M=3.29 (SD=0.07); 95% CI: 3.14-3.43]. Items perceived to be the greatest barrier to data-sharing included “lack of metadata standards” [M=3.21 (SD=0.08); 95% CI: 3.06-3.36], “no incentive” [M=3.43 (SD=0.07); 95% CI: 3.30-3.57], “inadequate resources” [M=3.53 (SD=0.05); 95% CI: 3.42-3.63], and “protection of privacy”[M=3.22 (SD=0.07); 95% CI: 3.07-3.36]. Conclusion Our results suggest addiction journal editorial board members believe data-sharing has a level of importance within the research community. However, most board members are unaware of their journals’ data-sharing policies, and most data-sharing should be recommended but not required. Future efforts aimed at better understanding common reservations and benefits towards data-sharing, as well as avenues to optimize data-sharing while minimizing potential risks, are warranted.