(21 Oct 2024) A study by IOP Publishing (IOPP) has highlighted differences in how physical science research communities adopt open data sharing and the various barriers they encounter.
Over 30,000 research articles were analysed for the study, with the findings released in IOPP’s whitepaper “Bringing researchers on board: Navigating the barriers to sharing data publicly”.
Environmental scientists are the most open with their research data, yet legal constraints related to third-party ownership often limit their ability to follow the FAIR principles. Physicists are also willing to share data but have concerns about the accessibility and understanding of the formats used. Engineering and materials scientists face the most significant barriers to sharing FAIR data due to concerns over confidentiality and sensitivity.
Key takeaways:
Overall, only one in ten physical science researchers share Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data alongside their published articles.
Environmental scientists:
- Over 80% share research data openly
- Just under 60% follow the FAIR principles
- Biggest barrier: legal constraints due to third-party ownership of data
Physicists:
- Over 70% share research data openly
- Only 18% adhere to FAIR principles
- Biggest barrier: data format considered inaccessible even if available
Engineering scientists:
- Only 55% share their data openly
- Under 8% follow the FAIR principles
- Biggest barrier: no (known) repository to submit data
Materials scientists:
- Over 70% share their data openly
- Just under 5% follow the FAIR principles
- Biggest barrier: confidential or sensitive data
Find out more here.
