Why they shared: recovering early arguments for sharing social scientific data

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• History of Science
• Data Archiving

Background:

• Contemporary social science views data sharing as an ethical imperative for transparency, verification, and replicability.
• The historical motivations behind early social science data sharing practices remain less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the driving forces behind data sharing among the founders of early U.S. social scientific research institutions.
• To explore whether ethical considerations or professional objectives motivated early data sharing.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of archived records.
• Examination of unpublished personal papers.
• Review of oral histories.

Main Results:

• Key figures like Angus Campbell, Warren Miller, and Philip Converse viewed data sharing pragmatically.
• Data sharing was instrumental in achieving financial stability, scholarly autonomy, and institutional independence.
• Sharing facilitated epistemological reproduction and the continuation of research programs.

Conclusions:

• Early data sharing was strategically employed to meet diverse professional and institutional objectives.
• The motivations for data sharing extend beyond intrinsic ethical imperatives to encompass practical professional goals.
• Evaluating data sharing requires consideration of both scientific ideals and the professional benefits it provides.