2024-06-12 –, Charleswood A
Language: English
OBJECTIVE
Data sharing in the health sciences is a known challenge as human subjects research prohibits the public sharing of personal identifying information without consent. Because of its private nature, it has been reported in the literature that health research data is difficult to find and access for reuse purposes. To better understand the current state of data sharing in a Canadian health sciences context, this study examines Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)-funded publications that provide evidence of data sharing to identify if, where, and how researchers make their data available. This study is a 3.5-year update to a previously published 2021 project.
METHODS
Using PubMed Central, we identified 8,356 articles that were published between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2023, were funded by CIHR, and had associated data. We analyzed a sample of 368 publications (95% confidence interval) to determine if and where data were shared and what documentation was provided to facilitate data reuse.
RESULTS
Preliminary results indicate that 34% of articles made at least some data readily accessible, 22% indicated that data were available upon request or by application, and 44% made no research data available. Overall, 69% of sampled publications included a data availability statement, and only 9% of articles supplied documentation that would support reuse of the data.
CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights gaps with respect to how Canadian health researchers share and document their data. This presentation will discuss these gaps and outline how health sciences librarians can support researchers in this area.
David has served the liaison librarian for the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Lethbridge for the last eight years. His research interests include topics in scholarly communications and electronic resource management. In his spare time, David enjoys birding and is currently working on a new field guide to the birds of Alberta.