Data from: Changes in data sharing and data reuse practices and perceptions among scientists worldwide

The incorporation of data sharing into the research lifecycle is an
important part of modern scholarly debate. In this study, the DataONE
Usability and Assessment working group addresses two primary goals: To
examine the current state of data sharing and reuse perceptions and
practices among research scientists as they compare to the 2009/2010
baseline study, and to examine differences in practices and perceptions
across age groups, geographic regions, and subject disciplines. We
distributed surveys to a multinational sample of scientific researchers at
two different time periods (October 2009 to July 2010 and October 2013 to
March 2014) to observe current states of data sharing and to see what, if
any, changes have occurred in the past 3–4 years. We also looked at
differences across age, geographic, and discipline-based groups as they
currently exist in the 2013/2014 survey. Results point to increased
acceptance of and willingness to engage in data sharing, as well as an
increase in actual data sharing behaviors. However, there is also
increased perceived risk associated with data sharing, and specific
barriers to data sharing persist. There are also differences across age
groups, with younger respondents feeling more favorably toward data
sharing and reuse, yet making less of their data available than older
respondents. Geographic differences exist as well, which can in part be
understood in terms of collectivist and individualist cultural
differences. An examination of subject disciplines shows that the
constraints and enablers of data sharing and reuse manifest differently
across disciplines. Implications of these findings include the continued
need to build infrastructure that promotes data sharing while recognizing
the needs of different research communities. Moving into the future,
organizations such as DataONE will continue to assess, monitor, educate,
and provide the infrastructure necessary to support such complex grand
science challenges.