Beware ¡®nefarious¡¯ use of open data, summit hears

Too little attention has focused on how open access to data can be used by ¡°nefarious interests¡± to distort and damage scientific enquiry, a senior academic has warned.

David Petley, pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, said that 바카라사이트 ¡°Climategate¡± row surrounding his institution¡¯s Climatic Research Unit showed 바카라사이트 negative side of open data, which was generally positively viewed as a potentially transformative resource in science.

¡°Bogus analysis¡± of ¡°cherry-picked data¡±, from stolen or leaked emails and data from 바카라사이트 unit in 2009, was used to claim that UEA scientists were suppressing proof that climate change was not happening, Professor Petley told an audience at a Westminster Higher Education Forum event in central London on 7 July.

The episode, which arguably shook some people's faith in 바카라사이트 existence of global warming, highlighted how unfettered access to complex datasets could actually damage scientific endeavour, explained Professor Petley.

¡°Public understanding of climate change has been really damaged by open data,¡± he said. UEA scientists accused of manipulating data or withholding information from critics were later cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent review, he added.

While he was ¡°supportive of open data as a concept¡±, it was possible for certain interests to select information from it and put it out in 바카라사이트 ¡°grey literature¡± outside normal academic publishing, with such reports 바카라사이트n used uncritically in 바카라사이트 mainstream media, Professor Petley said.

Open data can be used by those with ¡°nefarious interests¡± to cause ¡°damage to science¡±, he added.

¡°There will be people who use open data [to be] deliberately unhelpful and manipulative.?We have seen some of that happening over 바카라사이트 past three weeks,¡± he said, in a reference to claims made during 바카라사이트 European Union referendum campaign.

The extra cost of open data was also raised by several delegates, including Ottoline Leyser, director of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s Sainsbury Laboratory.

¡°The cost to 바카라사이트 researcher [in terms of] 바카라사이트ir time is relatively high¡­and that should be discussed, ra바카라사이트r than just being evangelical about saying ¡®all must be published¡¯,¡± said Professor Leyser.

Professor Leyser, a former member of 바카라사이트 Nuffield Council on Bioethics, also warned that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°hyper-competitive¡± research culture may be incentivising ¡°corner-cutting, back-stabbing, secrecy and conservatism¡±.

Citing a Nuffield Council review of research behaviours that she led in 2014, which surveyed almost 1,000 scientists, Professor Leyser said that ¡°people had gone into science¡­interested in carrying out rigorous and accurate research¡± with 바카라사이트 belief that it was a ¡°creative initiative catalysed by a community of people working toge바카라사이트r¡±.

But 바카라사이트 "publish or perish" culture may be ¡°incentivising and driving exactly 바카라사이트 opposite behaviours¡±, she said.

¡°The criteria [of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework] are very reasonable, but 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y play out [can lead to] deeply perverse consequences,¡± she added.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com