Troubleshooting public data archiving: suggestions to increase participation.
An increasing number of publishers and funding agencies require public data archiving (PDA) in open-access databases. PDA has obvious group benefits for the scientific community, but many researchers are reluctant to share their data publicly because of real or perceived individual costs. Improving participation in PDA will require lowering costs and/or increasing benefits for primary data collectors. Small, simple changes can enhance existing measures to ensure that more scientific data are properly archived and made publicly available: (1) facilitate more flexible embargoes on archived data, (2) encourage communication between data generators and re-users, (3) disclose data re-use ethics, and (4) encourage increased recognition of publicly archived data.
Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Dominique G
DG
Roche
Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Robert
R
Lanfear
Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Sandra A
SA
Binning
Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Tonya M
TM
Haff
Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Lisa E
LE
Schwanz
Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Kristal E
KE
Cain
Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Hanna
H
Kokko
Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Michael D
MD
Jennions
Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ; Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Loeske E B
LE
Kruuk
D003142:Communication; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000941:ethics*