Sharing Research Data: An Analysis of the Interest of Social Scientists in the Context of a Mexican University

Abstract

Open Science and open research data have the potential to speed up the processes of science and to generate benefits to society. However, the openness of research data and science cannot be taken for granted since there is a trend toward the capitalization of knowledge. In addition, each area of knowledge differs in terms of the data used and the rules that govern each scientific community. The aim of this article is to analyze social researchers’ interest in sharing research data within the context of a Mexican university. Based on the constructivist grounded theory approach, 12 interviews were conducted with social scientists from a higher education institution in Mexico. From the analysis, four categories associated with the researchers’ attitudes of sharing their data emerged. The findings exhibit that researchers’ interest in sharing their scientific data is prone to (1) selectively sharing, (2) perpetuating the system, (3) protecting privacy and (4) considering resources. These results show that the scientists interviewed show an opposite inclination to Open Science, since they are not willing to share their data openly, including the fact that within the Mexican context, the practice of sharing data openly is not encouraged.

Open Science Knowledge Production: Addressing Epistemological Challenges and Ethical Implications

“…Another is "missing data" and "data shadows" [33] undermining the benefit of the data analysis. Scientists may selectively share data, biasing the access to data, and "perpetuating the system" [34]. This comes together with what has been called "platform capitalism in science" [26] where the economy of platform owners directs the access and application of data, e.g., by draining value from scientific knowledge production without contributing significant value to the scientific community.…”