ABSTRACT
Chapter 9 examines the ethos and practices of open science, with a focus on sharing and reusing research data. It argues that whenever feasible, making data openly available – through public repositories or data supplements to publications – can accelerate discovery and broaden the impact of research. The chapter provides compelling examples of data reuse: studies where scientists validate findings or ask new questions using existing datasets, rather than collecting data from scratch. Such reuse not only maximizes the return on original data collection efforts but also fosters collaboration, as researchers “stand on each other’s shoulders” by building on shared resources. However, the chapter also addresses important ethical and legal constraints to openness. Not all data can be fully open due to privacy, confidentiality, or intellectual property concerns – for instance, personal health records or proprietary business data. To navigate these issues, mechanisms like DUAs, anonymization techniques, and secure data enclaves are discussed as ways to enable controlled access without compromising subjects’ rights. The chapter highlights the importance of clear licensing and proper data citation practices to ensure that those who share data get credit. In summary, the abstract portrays a research culture gradually embracing openness while balancing it with safeguards to uphold privacy and trust in the research community.
