ABSTRACT
There is a fundamental dilemma embedded in database creation and management. At least on a perceptual level, the benefits derived from a database are greater for the user of the data than for the contributor of the data. Ultimately, the utility of a database depends on the quality of the data provided and the accessibility of the data to users. We develop a conceptual model for data sharing and examine the means by which large, multiinvestigator research projects have provided for the creation, management and utilization of large, multisource databases. Also, based on a review of recent literature, we examine the 'speed of consumption' (the time between data generation and publication of results) of ecological data.
