Dear Colleague,
Science can progress more quickly, more innovatively, and more rigorously when researchers share data with one another. Amid a growing array of organizations, initiatives, and policies working toward this vision, ultimately of mixed success, there is a pressing need for clarity on what actually works.
In a
new issue brief, Danielle Cooper and Rebecca Springer build on Ithaka S+R's ongoing research into scholarly practices to propose a new mechanism for conceptualizing and supporting STEM research data sharing. Arguing that successful data sharing happens within data communities, they suggest that those who want to support data sharing in the sciences need to look for opportunities to grow data communities around scholars' existing practices and networks.
Drawing on the examples of three successful data communities, the brief concludes with actionable recommendations for funders, professional societies, publishers, information technologists, digital curation experts, and academic libraries to support STEM research data sharing.
As Ithaka S+R continues our research into scholarly workflows and the support needs of faculty, I invite you to share your strategies for promoting data sharing on
our blog.
