Toward a New Era of Data Sharing: Summary of the US-UK Scientific Forum on Researcher Access to Data

By: National Academy of Sciences and The Royal Society

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Synopsis: Data are at the forefront of efforts to solve many of today's greatest problems, including climate change, misinformation and disinformation, the threat of future global pandemics, and the quest by people everywhere to lead better lives. But if researchers are going to use data to contribute to the solutions of problems, data need to be available for them to use. Over time, data have become increasingly voluminous, complex, and heterogeneous. Massive volumes of data are being generated by new devices and methods, and many of these data are not easy to analyze, interpret, or share. Groups that generate data may be reluctant to share them for a variety of professional, personal, financial, regulatory, and statutory reasons. These issues were addressed during the US-UK Scientific Forum on Researcher Access to Data held in Washington, DC, on September 12-13, 2023. Organized by the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society, the forum examined the constellation of issues surrounding researchers' access to data, best practices and lessons learned from exemplary research disciplines, and new ideas and techniques that could drive research forward. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the forum.