Strength in Numbers: The WWARN Case Study of Purpose-Driven Data Sharing

Area of Science:

• Scientific communication
• Data science
• Research policy

Background:

• Data sharing is vital for scientific communication and increasingly mandated by funders.
• Academic advancement systems rarely recognize or reward data sharing practices.
• Current mandates for data sharing may increase data availability but not its effective reuse for secondary analyses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To argue for models that enhance data collation and curation efficiency.
• To advocate for systems that genuinely reward data sharing and reuse.
• To present the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network as a case study for addressing data-sharing challenges.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual argument based on the importance of data sharing and reuse.
• Analysis of challenges in academic reward structures for data sharing.
• Case study presentation of the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network's data platform approach.

Main Results:

• Mandating data sharing alone is insufficient to foster secondary data analysis and public good.
• Efficient data collation and curation processes are necessary for effective data reuse.
• Reward systems that acknowledge data sharing and reuse are essential.

Conclusions:

• Effective data sharing requires more than mandates; it needs supportive infrastructure and incentives.
• The WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network's model demonstrates a potential pathway for equitable and impactful data sharing and secondary use.
• Prioritizing researchers' needs in resource-limited settings is key to successful data-sharing initiatives.