[MUSIC] Thus far, we have touched on FINRA expectations regarding data sharing as well as some of the data management practices that can help researchers share their data efficiently. This includes following metadata standards, creating documentation and following quality assurance protocols. Now, we will delve more deeply into the topic of sharing digital data. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify some of the benefits of sharing data. You will also be able to identify some of the challenges and obstacles to data sharing. And finally, you will recognize the importance and elements of data citations. Let's consider the key players when it comes to data sharing. First, there is the data creator or producer. This is the person or entity who is making the data available to share. There is also the person who reuses the data or the secondary data user. Finally, there is the data repository. This is where the data creator makes the data available. A data repository plays a key role in enhancing the discovery and reuse of the data. And ideally, creating a formal data citation. So what are some of the benefits of data sharing? As we discussed previously, funders are encouraging. And in some cases, requiring researcher to make their data available for sharing to support transparency and openness and maximize funders return on investment. The specific benefits of data sharing to the research community are numerous and discussed in much of the literature. We will now look at the top ten benefits of sharing research data. For more information on data sharing literature, check out the resources for this module. Number one, sharing data reinforces open scientific inquiry. Making data openly available decreases the potential for disagreements among researchers and allows scientific inquiry to progress unimpeded to the benefit of the entire research community. Number two, sharing data supports the verification and replication of original results. By making data available, data can be used to verify or replicate published results. Verification can bolster the original results or it can expose errors. Either outcome helps strengthen and protect the integrity of the scientific record. Number three, sharing data promotes new research and allows for the testing of new or alternative methods. While data creators may have one research question in mind, the same data may be reused to answer new and innovative research questions. Number four, sharing data encourages collaboration and multiple perspectives. Sharing data can begin conversations between researchers across disciplines. This could lead to cross-disciplinary collaborations or the exchange of knowledge across fields that could result in new innovative research approaches. Number five, sharing data provides important teaching resources. Data are extremely valuable pedagogical tools. Instructors may use data in analytical exercises or students may model their own work after high-quality data examples. Data can also provide students with firsthand experience in verifying results. Number six, sharing data reduces costs by avoiding duplicate data collection efforts. Avoiding unintended duplicate data collections saves both respondents and researchers valuable time and resources and freeze up researcher funds for other projects. Number seven, sharing data protects against faulty or fraudulent data. Over the past few years, there have been multiple stories in the news about misconduct in research. Sharing data promotes transparency and accountability, which lessens the potential for purposeful falsification or distortion of data. It also allows reusers to detect unintentional errors. And finally, the expectation that others may be verifying data should encourage greater care in original analyses. Number eight, sharing data enhances the visibility and overall impact of research projects. Making research data available within a data repository can increase the visibility of researched products and increase the impact of a project by encouraging secondary analysis of the data. Scholars have also found a significant association between publishing data and increased citation rates. In the end, sharing data does not only benefit the broader research community, but can also produce potential career benefits for researchers. Number nine, sharing data preserves data for future use. If a researcher makes their data available for sharing within a data repository, then they can be sure that the data will be available and understandable for the long-term for their own and others use. Number ten, sharing data helps the broader community and individual researchers do better research. By sharing data, researchers support both their own research and the broader research community resulting in science that is more accurate, more open, more knowledgeable and has more resources at its disposal. [MUSIC]