Democratization of Science: Why sharing experimental data is the logical thing to do in 2021
lately, I have been asking directly to make available the database of experimental results to colleagues and sci. research friends...
Lately, i have been asking each of you directly to make available the database of experimental results. Some respond others do not. In 2021, there are those who are able to affirm without fear that the experimental data they possess "is not that great" (something commendable in academia at universities).
And in that sense, I decided today, once again, to write this short article to address, once again fears of the past, but which in 2021, definitely no longer make sense.
And one of the fears is, effectively, sharing experimental data
Once again, I could go on and on writing about this subject. Start by writing a history resume about sharing, when it all began, and why. Next, I could write about its advantages and disadvantages. Its pros and its cons. However, as usual, I’ll be skipping all that, here, and present below a simple explanation of how easy it has become to collect experimental data from your published scientific research works.
A person with basic programming skills can start by googling a list of published research work articles, download the document in PDF and convert data tables on each article, automatically, using, for example, the python programming language, and aggregate all data dispersed into a single database. And it only requires half a dozen lines of code, if not less. The one doing it is not obliged to inform or contact you when doing it.
Furthermore, such a person can even get to achieve perfection, and elaborate further data collected, and mask data values using a random number generator to change nonsignificant digits and thus not altering results nor conclusions.
A person like myself needs only one morning to do it. And a supply of coffee…or tea to go along.
What I’m trying to say is
in 2021 is more advantageous on facilitating, from the start, sharing of experimental data, than to find out later you’ve been outrun by someone else.
so, my insight to you today is: do it. without fear. right from the start. right from the beginning.
Don’t forget to include the license type when sharing, there are plenty available on the internet:
…and many, many others.
To finalize this article, recent conversations on these matters, made me conclude, sharing not happing more frequently due to elevated expectations on future collaborations, on future give back of personal works, and efforts shared with someone else. Opinions diverge on how to mitigate or even solve such concerns and many times fears. My proposed solution is somewhere in between what I’ve been trying and testing for myself this week.
You can view the testing page on the following web address link:
http://www.aeonlabs.solutions/research.aeonlabs.solutions/experimentaldata/index.html
It does not need to be a monetary donation or a payment, like the one I have set up on the webpage above. It can be made, in all similar to digital cryptocurrency, to simply track who is owning who “a favor“ (as the Portuguese eloquently put it frequently), and set up a digital ledger, in all similar to Etherum, and trade fractions of value down to nine decimal places or 0.000 000 001 of a #coin.
Is that easy. Is that simple!
An insightful Thursday to all.
Until next time, don’t forget to share, and if possible, subscribe for fairness of work1 and a fairer economy, or instead buy me a coffee and promote at the same time open source writing.
This article took me about a little over one hour to produce.
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