Individual and contextual factors associated with data sharing in the social sciences

Abstract

ABSTRACT This secondary analysis of restricted-use data from the LEADS Database examines individual and contextual factors associated with social scientists’ propensity to share data. Prior literature primarily examines simple bivariate relationships between individual and contextual factors and data sharing. This study improves on this literature by considering multiple such factors simultaneously among U.S. principal investigators in the social sciences using structural equation modeling. By examining this full set of predictors, we explained a high proportion of variance (R2 = .69) in researchers’ propensity to share data. Ethics-related barriers, favorable disciplinary attitudes toward data sharing, discipline, and academic rank all significantly predict propensity to share data. Also, favorable disciplinary attitudes toward data sharing were negatively associated with both perceived time- and ethics-related barriers to data sharing. These findings, although contradictory compared to some prior research, have implications for educators and may inform efforts to promote data sharing in the social sciences.