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Public Data Archiving in Ecology and Evolution: How Well Are We Doing?

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  • Dominique G Roche
  • Loeske E B Kruuk
  • Robert Lanfear
  • Sandra A Binning

Abstract

Policies that mandate public data archiving (PDA) successfully increase accessibility to data underlying scientific publications. However, is the data quality sufficient to allow reuse and reanalysis? We surveyed 100 datasets associated with nonmolecular studies in journals that commonly publish ecological and evolutionary research and have a strong PDA policy. Out of these datasets, 56% were incomplete, and 64% were archived in a way that partially or entirely prevented reuse. We suggest that cultural shifts facilitating clearer benefits to authors are necessary to achieve high-quality PDA and highlight key guidelines to help authors increase their data’s reuse potential and compliance with journal data policies.Careful scrutiny of one hundred studies in journals that mandate data archival reveals that over half do not comply with their journal’s data policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominique G Roche & Loeske E B Kruuk & Robert Lanfear & Sandra A Binning, 2015. "Public Data Archiving in Ecology and Evolution: How Well Are We Doing?," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-12, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pbio00:1002295
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002295
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    9. Dominique G Roche & Robert Lanfear & Sandra A Binning & Tonya M Haff & Lisa E Schwanz & Kristal E Cain & Hanna Kokko & Michael D Jennions & Loeske E B Kruuk, 2014. "Troubleshooting Public Data Archiving: Suggestions to Increase Participation," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(1), pages 1-5, January.
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    2. Joshua D. Carrell & Edward Hammill & Thomas C. Edwards, 2022. "Balancing Rare Species Conservation with Extractive Industries," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-16, November.
    3. Hannah Fraser & Tim Parker & Shinichi Nakagawa & Ashley Barnett & Fiona Fidler, 2018. "Questionable research practices in ecology and evolution," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(7), pages 1-16, July.
    4. Lloyd W. Morrison & Craig C. Young, 2016. "Standardization and Quality Control in Data Collection and Assessment of Threatened Plant Species," Data, MDPI, vol. 1(3), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Brian Jackson, 2021. "Open Data Policies among Library and Information Science Journals," Publications, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-12, June.
    6. Mike Thelwall & Marcus Munafò & Amalia Mas-Bleda & Emma Stuart & Meiko Makita & Verena Weigert & Chris Keene & Nushrat Khan & Katie Drax & Kayvan Kousha, 2020. "Is useful research data usually shared? An investigation of genome-wide association study summary statistics," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(2), pages 1-11, February.
    7. Malika Ihle & Isabel S. Winney & Anna Krystalli & Michael Croucher, 2017. "Striving for transparent and credible research: practical guidelines for behavioral ecologists," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 28(2), pages 348-354.

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