Reasons for qualitative psychologists to share human data

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Sciences
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Qualitative data sharing in psychology lags behind quantitative practices.
• Concerns often cited include epistemological, ethical, and pragmatic issues.
• Existing barriers hinder the advancement of qualitative research reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an alternative perspective on qualitative data sharing.
• To highlight three key advantages of sharing qualitative human data.
• To encourage wider adoption of qualitative data sharing practices.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of ethical and practical considerations in data sharing.
• Argumentation based on specific characteristics of qualitative data.
• Comparative analysis with quantitative data sharing practices.

Main Results:

• Qualitative data sharing can be more ethical, less risky, and more practical than commonly perceived.
• Specific advantages include: validated informed consent, specialized data curation, and localized privacy risks.
• These factors challenge the default assumption that qualitative data is inherently difficult to share.

Conclusions:

• Qualitative data sharing is feasible and beneficial.
• Addressing concerns through specific strategies can facilitate ethical and practical sharing.
• Encouraging data sharing can advance the field of qualitative psychology.