title: Time for sharing data to become routine: the seven excuses for not doing so are all invalid.
abstract: Data are more valuable than scientific papers but researchers are incentivised to publish papers not share data. Patients are the main beneficiaries of data sharing but researchers have several incentives not to share: others might use their data to get ahead in the academic rat race; they might be scooped; their results might not be replicable; competitors may reach different conclusions; their data management might be exposed as poor; patient confidentiality might be breached; and technical difficulties make sharing impossible. All of these barriers can be overcome and researchers should be rewarded for sharing data. Data sharing must become routine.
authors.affiliation: ICDDR, B, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Former editor, BMJ, London, UK.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Clinical Trials Unit, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Roberts
keywords: Data sharing; data analysis; data management; publishing