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    Credit for Data Sharing

    The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard (MRCT Center), and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) launched the Credit for Data Sharing initiative to describe and implement a system to appropriately credit researchers for sharing data.

    Recent Publications

    Nature Comment: Credit Data Generators for Data Reuse (Pierce, H.H., Dev, A., Statham, E., Bierer, B.E. Nature. 2019 June; 570 (7759): 30-32)

    Supplementary Information: Data Tracking Process  Action Items 

    Here we propose a system for leveraging existing initiatives and infrastructure to track the use, reuse and impact of scientific data through the consistent adoption of unique identifiers. Our system begins when researchers deposit a data set that they have generated. It then links every use and published analysis of that data set back to the original researcher

    AAMCNews: Giving Credit Where Credit is Due (A. Dev, Jan. 2019)

    Background

    An early framework for this project was published in April 2017 (Data Authorship as an Incentive to Data Sharing). Since that point, a core group of participants has further expanded the concept of how a system of credit could be put into practice. The scope of this project and of the workshop is on data after it has been generated and the decision to share it has been made.

    Credit for Data Sharing Workshop

    An invitation-only workshop at the AAMC's headquarters in April 2018 engaged a broad group of stakeholders to specifically focus on refining a proposed data tracking process and the actions needed from academic institutions, journals and publishers, and nonprofit and government funding agencies to support and increase data sharing by making it possible for researchers to receive credit for their work.

    Workshop Materials:

    Webinar

    The AAMC, the MRCT Center, and Vivli, an independent, non-profit organization that has developed a global data-sharing and analytics platform, presented a November 2019 webinar available for on-demand viewing at the Vivli website (please select the “Register Today” option). The discussion focused on methodologies for appropriating credit in data sharing and how purpose-driven data sharing enhances scientific discovery and ensures data generators receive credit for their work. 

    Resources

    For questions please contact:

    • Heather Pierce, Senior Director for Science Policy and Regulatory Counsel, hpierce@aamc.org

    • Anu Dev, Lead Specialist for Science Policy, adev@aamc.org

    Last updated: November 14, 2019