Open Data Advocacy

Opening data is scholarly labor that should be acknowledged as such. Data collection and sharing is not often recognized in terms of research productivity or tenure considerations. Effecting a change in perspective around data sharing throughout academia is crucial to increasing research data sharing.

If you're a researcher - and especially if you have tenure - you can promote open data by starting with yourself! Make your own data open and lead by example. Encourage data sharing in your lab. Lobby for data sharing to carry more weight in tenure considerations at your institution. If you're in a professional setting and you encounter resistance to opening research data, the table below lists some ideas on how to address your colleagues' concerns.

Librarians are already doing a lot of the advocacy work around open access in their institutions, and promoting open data is an extension of this work done in the name of information equity and open knowledge.

The Data Equity for Main Street project is a great set of tools that librarians and others can use to educate both themselves and members of their communities about open data. The project's repository includes a curriculum guide, a series of courses, a video, and handouts on open data.

If you're part of a publisher or an academic institution, show that you're thinking about open data by writing a strong data sharing policy. If you already have a policy, make sure it is treated as a living document with regular review.

For tips on writing a data sharing policy, take a look at How to write a good open data policy from the Open Data Institute and Tips for Writing a Data Sharing or Data Management Plan from Data Sharing for Demographic Research.