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Comparing Bibliometric Analysis Using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Databases
Published on: October 24, 2019
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The availability of research data declines rapidly with article age.
Timothy H Vines1, Arianne Y K Albert2, Rose L Andrew3
1Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Molecular Ecology Editorial Office, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Current Biology : CB
|December 24, 2013
Summary
Research data availability declines significantly over time. After publication, the likelihood of accessing data decreases annually, highlighting the need for public archives.
Area of Science:
- Data Science
- Bibliometrics
- Information Science
Background:
- Increasing mandates for research data sharing via public archives.
- Concerns exist regarding authors' long-term stewardship of research data.
- Previous studies indicate challenges in data accessibility over time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically estimate how research data availability changes with article age.
- To quantify the decline in data set and author contact information accessibility over time.
Main Methods:
- Requested data sets from 516 articles published 2-22 years prior.
- Analyzed the relationship between article age and data set availability.
- Assessed the availability of author contact information (email) based on article age.
Main Results:
- Data set availability decreased significantly with article age.
- For papers where data status was provided, the odds of a data set being extant fell by 17% per year.
- The odds of finding a working author email address decreased by 7% per year.
Conclusions:
- Individual researchers are unreliable for long-term data preservation.
- Urgent need for policies mandating data sharing through public archives.
- Public archives are crucial for ensuring the long-term accessibility of research data.
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