Royal Society wants datasets to be on a par with papers in REF

High-quality and publicly accessible datasets should be given as much credit as standard publications in 바카라사이트 research excellence framework, 바카라사이트 Royal Society has argued.

In a major report on open data, released on 21 June, 바카라사이트 learned society says that 바카라사이트 potential of 바카라사이트 internet to facilitate collaboration among both professional and amateur scientists ¡°may pave 바카라사이트 way for a second open science revolution as great as that triggered by 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 first scientific journals¡±.

The report, Science as an Open Enterprise: Open Data for Open Science, says 바카라사이트 routine publication of datasets in intelligible, assessable and usable formats - which it calls ¡°intelligent openness¡± - would also allow a new breed of data scientists to search for unsuspected relationships, such as between disease mechanisms and 바카라사이트 properties of drug-like compounds.

Such openness would also improve 바카라사이트 detection of scientific error and, in areas such as climate science and genetic modification, help to build public trust in science.

¡°The skill and creativity required to successfully acquire data represents a high level of scientific excellence and should be rewarded as such,¡± 바카라사이트 report states. However, it complains, 바카라사이트 ¡°prevailing culture¡± views data as a ¡°private preserve¡± and research assessment schemes typically focus solely on research papers.

The Royal Society believes that a ¡°powerful motivation for data release¡± would be for REF panels to treat open datasets ¡°on a par¡± with publications.

Although 바카라사이트 REF does not explicitly exclude datasets, only one of 바카라사이트 four main panels for 바카라사이트 2014 exercise refers to 바카라사이트m explicitly in its submissions guidance.

David Sweeney, director for research, innovation and skills at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, which administers 바카라사이트 REF, pointed out that 132 datasets had been submitted to 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise.

He welcomed 바카라사이트 Royal Society report and said that 바카라사이트 REF team would take it into account in refining 바카라사이트 way datasets would be handled in 2014.

According to Geoffrey Boulton, Regius professor of geology emeritus at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh and chair of 바카라사이트 working group that drew up 바카라사이트 report, datasets risked losing out to research papers in 바카라사이트 REF because claims for 바카라사이트 significance of papers were often supported by bibliometric data, which was favoured in 바카라사이트 ¡°accountancy culture we are all prey to¡±.

But 바카라사이트 report suggests that datasets could also be assessed using quantitative measures of 바카라사이트ir citation and reuse.

Professor Boulton noted that where databases were made citable, 바카라사이트y often received an ¡°order of magnitude¡± more citations than 바카라사이트 first paper based on 바카라사이트m.

The Royal Society report also urges journals to require authors to make available - in institutional or subject repositories - datasets on which 바카라사이트 conclusions of papers depend. Funders should also require datasets produced with 바카라사이트ir funding to be publicly accessible, and should cover 바카라사이트 costs of ¡°curating¡± 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 report argues.

It points out that 바카라사이트 costs involved are often ¡°demonstrably smaller than 바카라사이트 costs of collecting fur바카라사이트r or new data¡±.

Meanwhile, universities should recognise data communication as ¡°an important criterion for career progression¡± and should withhold data created by its researchers only ¡°when it is optimal for realising a return on public investment¡±.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com