Exploring the determinants of scientific data sharing: Understanding the motivation to publish research data

Abstract

The research community is working to create new capabilities to share data and to deal with issues of data quality, standards, and protection, and ethical and responsible use of shared data. These issues have been found to influence the willingness of researchers to publish data created during the course of their research. We use the results of a survey conducted by the working groups of the DataONE project to present a new understanding of challenges to the development of global data collections and preservation by systematically examining the determinants of the researchers' likelihood to openly publish research data. This study found two key determinants affecting researchers' willingness to publish their data. First is data management in terms of data management skills and organization support. Second is the acknowledgement of the data set's originator in terms of appreciation and legal and policy requirements. This study also found that the impact of the significant determinants is contingent on the amount of data to be published. Finally, this study calls for further investigation to ascertain the relationship of data management and data quality, and systematic investigation on the roles and responsibility of government within these global data preservations. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.