Sharing unreviewed research data: Problems and prospects

Abstract

This paper highlights the results of the survey of Ukrainian scientists on the exchange of unreviewed research data with other scientists, and their motivation to use and disseminate unreviewed research data. By “research data” we mean both processed (summarized in the form of text data, tables, figures, infographics, etc.) and unprocessed information collected by researchers due to experiments, observations, simulations, through surveys or in other ways, or generated from available information. A questionnaire was distributed in different Facebook groups for scientists (“Ukrainian Scientific Journals” “Ukrainian Scientists Worldwide”, “Pseudoscience News in Ukraine”, “Scientific Conferences and Publications”, “Academic Virtue and Plagiarism”, “Higher School and Science of Ukraine: Disintegration or Blossoming?”, “Ukrainian cuisine of scientific publications”) and through university networks. Results from 736 respondents demonstrated awareness and attitudes about data sharing, advantages, and disadvantages of data sharing for scientists. Most of the respondents don’t trust the results of scientific research published in sources other than peer-reviewed scientific journals. Only 34.7 % of the respondents use to publish their unreviewed research data. The reasons that can stop scientists from sharing research data are the following: problems with copyright protection, luck of time, fear to lose publishing opportunities, contradictions with the requirements of the journals, risk of misinterpretation, risk of losing leadership in the field of research, ethical norms violations, prejudice. Researchers, especially those who work at universities, highlighted lack of time for data sharing, because they teach and supervise students, conduct research, have administrative activities, participate in community services. Among the reasons for data sharing the scientists noted cooperation, formation of reputation, increasing the likelihood of being quoted, feedback from the scientific community, development of science, saving results to use in the future, etc. 30.9 % of the respondents indicated that they do not find anything that could motivate them to share research data. Meanwhile about 78.0 % of respondents are sure, that they need trainings in the field of data sharing.