Why share data?

Why should I share my data?

• The Research Council Common Principles on data policy state:
  

  ‘Publicly funded research data are a public good, produced in the public interest, which should be made openly available with as few restrictions as possible in a timely and responsible manner.’

  This principle is further strengthened in the Concordat on Open Research Data (PDF) that recognises that research data should wherever possible be made openly available for use by others in a manner consistent with relevant legal, ethical, disciplinary and regulatory frameworks and norms, and with due regard to the cost involved.

• If projects do not share research outcomes and supporting data there is a danger that duplication of effort may occur in the process of collecting such data again.
• Many funders now require researchers to share their data and others are encouraging the practice (check funder requirements at http://researchdata.swan.ac.uk/about/).
• It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to ensure that projects meet the expectations of their funding bodies when considering how and when to share research data.
• Sharing data enables other projects to build on your work.

Please also see the EPSRC Core Principles which align with the RCUK principles on data sharing

Further Resources

How to licence research data by the DCC

How to track the impact of research data with metrics by the DCC

Creative Commons Licensing by the DCC