THE CASE FOR INTERNATIONAL SHARING OF SCIENTIFIC DATA:
A FOCUS ON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
PROCEEDINGS OF A SYMPOSIUM
Kathie Bailey Mathae and Paul F. Uhlir, Editors
Committee on the Case of International Sharing of Scientific Data: A Focus on Developing Countries
Board on International Scientific Organizations
Board on Research Data and Information
Policy and Global Affairs
In collaboration with the Committee on
Freedom and Responsibility in the Conduct of Science
International Council for Science
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This study was supported by the National Science Foundation (Award No. OISE-0614728 and OGI-1040898). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
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COMMITTEE ON THE CASE FOR INTERNATIONAL SHARING OF SCIENTIFIC DATA: A FOCUS ON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
FAROUK EL-BAZ (Chair), Boston University
BARBARA ANDREWS, University of Chile
ROBERTA BALSTAD, Center for International Earth Sciences
JOHN RUMBLE, JR., Information International Associates, Inc.
WILLIAM WULF, University of Virginia
TILAHUN YILMA, University of California, Davis
Staff
KATHIE BAILEY MATHAE, Study Director
PAUL F. UHLIR, Study Director
LYNELLE VIDALE, Program Associate
CHERYL WILLIAMS LEVEY, Senior Program Assistant
BOARD ON INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS
Cutberto Garza, MD (IOM), Chair, Boston College
Marvin Geller, Stony Brook University
Daniel Goroff, Alfred Sloan Foundation
Priscilla Grew, University of Nebraska State Museum
Melinda Kimble, United Nations Foundation
Dennis Ojima, Colorado State University
Kennedy Reed, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
John Rumble, Jr., Information International Associates, Inc.
Karen Strier (NAS), University of Wisconsin
Tilahun Yilma (NAS), University of California, Davis
EX OFFICIO
Roberta Balstad, Retired
Michael Clegg (NAS), University of California, Irvine
Dov Jaron, Drexel University
J. Bruce Overmier, University of Minnesota
BOARD ON RESEARCH DATA AND INFORMATION
Francine Berman, Cochair, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Clifford Lynch, Cochair, Coalition for Networked Information
Laura Bartolo, Kent State University
Philip Bourne, University of California, San Diego
Henry Brady, University of California, Berkeley
Mark Brender, GeoEye Foundation
Bonnie Carroll, Information International Associates
Michael Carroll, Washington College of Law, American University
Sayeed Choudhury, Johns Hopkins University
Keith Clarke, University of California, Santa Barbara
Paul David, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
Kelvin Droegemeier, University of Oklahoma
Clifford Duke, Ecological Society of America
Barbara Entwisle, University of North Carolina
Stephen Friend, Sage Bionetworks
Margaret Hedstrom, University of Michigan
Alexa McCray, Harvard Medical School
Alan Title, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center
Ann Wolpert, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
EX OFFICIO
Robert Chen, Columbia University
Michael Clegg, University of California, Irvine
Sara Graves, University of Alabama in Huntsville
John Faundeen, Earth Resources Observation and Science Center
Eric Kihn, National Geophysical Data Center (NOAA)
Chris Lenhardt, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Kathleen Robinette, Air Force Research Laboratory
Alex de Sherbinin, Columbia University
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Scientific research and problem solving are increasingly dependent for successful outcomes on access to diverse sources of data generated by the public and academic research community. Global issues, such as disaster mitigation and response, international environmental management, epidemiology of infectious diseases, and various types of sustainable development concerns, require access to reliable data from many, if not all, countries. Digital networks now provide a near-universal infrastructure for sharing much of this factual information on a timely, comprehensive, and low-cost basis. There also are many compelling examples of data sharing in different research and application areas that have yielded great benefits to the world community, although many more could be similarly facilitated.
Many countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and some emerging economies already have implemented national policies and programs for public data management and access, while others are in the process of developing them. Nevertheless, many developing countries do not have formal mechanisms in place. The topic of “data sharing” is broad and complex, and developing countries have different infrastructure, human resource, and access needs that must be addressed. (For purposes of this report, “developing” countries are defined as non-OECD countries, recognizing that there is a broad range of economic development among the non-OECD nations.)
There are various specific barriers to the access and sharing of scientific data collected by governments or by researchers using public funding. Such obstacles include scientific and technical, institutional and management, economic and financial, legal and policy, and normative and sociocultural barriers, as well as limitations in digital infrastructure. Some of these barriers are possible to diminish or remove, whereas others seek to balance competing values that impose legitimate limitations on openness. Despite such challenges, however, there could be much greater value and benefits to research and society, particularly for economic and social development, from the broader use and sharing of existing factual data sources.
Many researchers in developing countries, in particular, lack the norms and traditions of more open data sharing for collaborative research and for the development of common research resources for the benefit of the entire research community. Moreover, the governments in many developing countries treat publicly generated or publicly funded research data either as secret or commercial commodities. Even if governments do not actively protect such data, many lack policies that provide guidance or identify responsibilities for the researchers they fund concerning the conditions under which researchers should make their data available for others to use. Finally, developing countries frequently do not have data centers or digital repositories in place to which researchers can submit their data for use by others. In those cases where such repositories do exist, they tend to be managed as black archives—that is, not open to most researchers or the general public.
Because of the importance of data access and sharing in the developing world, an ad hoc committee of the Board on International Scientific Organizations (BISO) and the Board on Research Data and Information (BRDI), in consultation with the Committee on Freedom and Responsibility in the Conduct of Science (CFRS) of the International Council for Science (ICSU), organized a 2-day international symposium in Washington, D.C., on April 18–19, 2011. The main objective of the symposium was to gain better understanding of the data access and sharing situation in the developing world, with a focus on barriers, opportunities, and future actions.
Part One of the proceedings addresses the following questions: Why is the international sharing of publicly funded scientific data important, especially for development? What are some examples of past
successes, and what are the types of global research and applications problems that can be addressed with more complete access to government data collections and government-funded data sources?
Part Two provides an overview of the status of public data access internationally, particularly in developing countries. Part Three explores the principal barriers and limits to sharing public data across borders. Finally, Part Four discusses the rights and responsibilities of scientists and research organizations in providing and getting access to publicly funded scientific data. It also provides some insights on how international scientific organizations, government agencies, and scientists can more successfully improve sharing of publicly funded data to address global challenges, particularly in less economically developed countries.
This proceedings contains edited versions of the symposium presentations. As such, they vary in length, formality, and style. Some are more scholarly than others. In addition, language usage varies, since many of the international presenters are nonnative English speakers.
The proceedings is intended primarily for government policy makers, researchers in the developing world, and managers in public and private institutions that fund research and development activities in developing countries. We hope it will enrich their understanding of the importance of data access and reuse from publicly funded research, especially in the developing world, and that it will advance discussions about future actions.
This volume has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for quality. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.
We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of The Case for International Sharing of Scientific Data: A Focus on Developing Countries Proceedings of a Symposium:
William Anderson, Praxis 101; Peter Arzberger, University of California, San Diego; R. Stephen Berry, University of Chicago; Anita Eisenstadt, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association; and Kamran Naim, University of Tennessee.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the individual papers. Responsibility for the final content of the papers rests with the individual authors.
Farouk El-Baz, Chair, Committee on the Case for International Sharing of Scientific Data: A Focus on Developing Countries
Kathie Bailey Mathae, Director, Board on International Scientific Organizations
Paul F. Uhlir, Director, Board on Research Data and Information
CONTENTS
Charles Vest, National Academy of Engineering United States
2. Background and Purpose of the Symposium: Historical Perspective
Farouk El-Baz, Boston University United States
3. Why Is International Scientific Data Sharing Important?
Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, UNESCO Science Laureate Pakistan
4. Discussion of Part One by Symposium Participants
PART TWO: STATUS OF ACCESS TO SCIENTIFIC DATA
5. Overview of Scientific Data Policies
Roberta Balstad, Columbia University United States
6. Implementing a Research Data Access Policy in South Africa
Michael Kahn, University of Stellenbosch South Africa
7. Access to Research Data and Scientific Information Generated with Public Funding in Chile
Patricia Muñoz Palma, National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research Chile
Leonard E. G. Mboera, National Institute for Medical Research. Tanzania
Jack Hayes, U.S. Permanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organization United States
10. Discussion of Part Two by Symposium Participants
PART THREE: COMPELLING BENEFITS
11. Developing the Rice Genome in China
Huanming Yang, BGI China
Željko Ivezić, University of Washington United States
Daniel I. Cheney, Safety Program at the Federal Aviation Administration United States
14. Integrated Disaster Research: Issues Around Data
Jane E. Rovins, Integrated Research on Disaster Risk Program of ICSU China
15. Understanding Brazilian Biodiversity: Examples Where More Data Sharing Makes the Difference
Vanderlei Canhos, Reference Center on Environmental Information (CRIA) Brazil
Victoria A. Bakhtina, International Finance Corporation United States
17. Remote Sensing and In Situ Measurements in the Global Earth Observation System of Systems
Curtis Woodcock, Boston University United States
18. Discussion of Part Three by Symposium Participants
PART FOUR: THE LIMITS AND BARRIERS TO DATA SHARING
19. Data Sharing: Limits and Barriers and Initiatives to Overcome Them – An Introduction
Roger Pfister, Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences Switzerland
20. Consideration of Barriers to Data Sharing
Elaine Collier, National Institutes of Health United States
21. Artificial Barriers to Data Sharing – Technical Aspects
Donald R. Riley, University of Maryland United States
22. Scientific Management and Cultural Aspects
David Carlson, University of Colorado United States
23. Political and Economic Barriers to Data Sharing: The African Perspective
Tilahun Yilma, University of California, Davis United States
24. Discussion of Part Four by Symposium Participants
PART FIVE: HOW TO IMPROVE DATA ACCESS AND USE
Gretchen Kalonji, UNESCO France
26. International Scientific Organizations: Views and Examples
Bengt Gustafsson, CFRS/ICSU Sweden
27. Improving Data Access and Use for Sustainable Development in the South
Daniel Schaffer, Academy of Sciences for the Developing World Italy
28. How to Improve Data Access and Use: An Industry Perspective
John Rumble, Information International Associates United States
Hilary I. Inyang, African Continental University System Initiative University of North Carolina, Charlotte United States
30. The ICSU World Data System
Yasuhiro Murayama, National Institute of Information and Communication Technology Japan
31. Libraries and Improving Data Access and Use in Developing Regions
Stephen Griffin, National Science Foundation United States
Haswira Nor Mohamad Hashim, Queensland University of Technology Australia
33. Discussion of Part Five by Symposium Participants
B: Biographies of Symposium Chairs and Presenters
LIST OF FIGURE AND TABLES
FIGURE 3-1 Distribution of Approved Project Cost
FIGURE 3-2 Articles Downloaded
TABLE 3-1 Ph.D. Output in Pakistan
FIGURE 15-1 speciesLink Network Architecture
FIGURE 15-2 Access to CRIA’s Online Systems in 2010
FIGURE 16-1 HDI Index Adjustments Due to Inequality
FIGURE 16-2 Six African Countries: Overall Satisfaction with Life
FIGURE 16-3 Multidimensional Poverty Index of Six African Countries
FIGURE 16-4 Six African Countries: Overall Satisfaction with Life
TABLE 17-1 Image Acquisitions by Country
FIGURE 17-1 Landsat Web-enabled Monthly Statistics
TABLE 19-1 Daily Newspapers per 1,000 People
TABLE 19-2 Television Receivers per 1,000 People
TABLE 19-3 Radio Receivers per 1,000 People
TABLE 19-4 Internet Growth 2000-2010
TABLE 21-1 2010 Internet World Statistics
FIGURE 21-1 World Internet Penetration Rates by Geographic Region in 2010
FIGURE 21-2 The International Reach of the Internet2 Network
FREQUENTLY USED ACRONYMS
BISO | Board on International Scientific Organizations |
BRDI | Board on Research Data and Information |
CERN | European Organization for Nuclear Research |
CFRS | Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in the Conduct of Science |
CODATA | Committee on Data for Science and Technology |
GEOSS | Global Earth Observation System of Systems |
HDI | Human Development Index |
ICSU | International Council for Science |
ICT | Information and Communication Technology |
ICTP | International Center for Theoretical Physics |
IPY | International Polar Year |
IRDR | Integrated Research on Disaster Risk |
NIMR | National Institute for Medical Research |
NOAA | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
NREN | National Research and Education Networks |
OECD | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
SDSS | Sloan Digital Sky Survey |
TWAS | The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World |
USGS | United States Geological Survey |
WMO | World Meteorological Organization |