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Report - Access to Data Seminar at NRC, 26 May 2003

As part of a growing international concern over access to publicly funded scientific research data, a Seminar on Access to Publicly Funded Scientific Data was held at the National Research Council (NRC) on 26 May 2003 in conjunction with the joint meeting of CISET¹ and NRC/Partners². The objective of the Seminar, organized by the Canadian National Committee for CODATA, was to explore the status of Canadian efforts in ensuring accessibility of publicly funded natural sciences research data and, if a deficiency were determined, to develop actionable plans to address that deficiency.

Keynote speeches by senior executives of Canada's premier science agencies set the scene. Opening the Seminar, Dr. Arthur Carty, President of NRC, observed that "the pressures around the preservation and archiving of scientific and technical data are mounting. Without concerted action, we risk losing many potentially significant collections of data - a loss that will be felt for generations to come". Dr. Thomas Brzustowski, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), proposed the principle that "all reliable data produced in research totally funded by the public should be 'broadcast' (communicated openly to the broad public) with the exception of research on issues of national security". Dr. Janet Halliwell, Executive Vice-President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) argued that Canada does have a problem. The recent SSHRC-National Archives-sponsored study on access to data "demonstrated that Canada is way behind other countries, and not just the G8. There is no doubt - research archives get used". She suggested a solution needs to be pursued because to do so is "good science, good stewardship and in the national interest".

An expert panel then gave Seminar participants a perspective on data access issues on the international and national fronts. Dr. John ApSimon, currently Special Science Advisor to the Deputy Minister of the Environment, and Dr. David Moorman, Senior Policy Advisor at SSHRC, reported on two major data access studies with which they have played an active role. The OECD report³, a sober and extensive examination of the issues from both multinational and multidisciplinary perspectives, adopted the central principle that "publicly funded research data should be openly available to the maximum extent possible". The SSHRC - National Archives report⁴, a wide-ranging consultation of Canadian stakeholders in the social sciences and humanities fields, advocated the creation of a national research data access, preservation and management system for their community. Funds are being sought to implement the recommended National Research Data Archive which, while focussing initially on the needs of the surveyed community, will be open ultimately to providing services for the natural and medical sciences as well as engineering. Prof. Thomas Rosswall, Executive Director of the International Council for Science (ICSU), was a special guest at the Seminar and provided an international perspective on data sharing and archiving.

With that background, the remainder of the Seminar was devoted to an open forum discussion among the approximately 55 participants, led by Dr. Ian Smith, Chair of CISET. To focus discussion, participants examined a number of previously distributed questions such as:

• Is there a problem?
• Why should a solution be pursued?
• What should be in such an archive
• Who should be involved?
• How might it work in practice?

The key recommendation which emerged was that there is a need to examine the issue of "access to publicly funded scientific data" from the perspectives of the Canadian natural science, technical and medical communities. To this effect, participants outlined a systematic approach including recommendations that:

• the study should be guided by a representative Working Group comparable in size to the one that oversaw the SSHRC-NA study (about 20 persons);
• the study should be complementary to the SSHRC-NA study, adopt its methodology as appropriate and not repeat all of its relevant work;
• CISTI should lead the effort.

A small Steering Committee, to include members from NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR and CFI, and led by Dr. Gordon Wood, Group Leader (Research) at CISTI, is being formed to act upon the recommendations.

Left to right: Dr. T. Brzustowski, Dr. A. Carty, Ms P. Mortimer

Gordon Wood, Chair
Canadian National Committee for CODATA
Tel. 613-993-4165; gordon.wood@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

¹ CISET -- NRC Committee on International Science, Engineering and Technology
² Representatives of the 30 Canadian National Committees for the ICSU Scientific Unions and Committees to which NRC adheres on behalf of Canada
³ Promoting Access to Public Research Data for Scientific, Economic and Social Development, OECD Follow Up Group On Issues of Access to Publicly Funded Research, Final Report, March 2003 (http://dataaccess.ucsd.edu/Final_Report_2003.pdf)
⁴ National Data Archive Consultation Final Report: Building Infrastructure for Access to and Preservation of Research Data in Canada, NDAC Working Group, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and National Archives of Canada. (http://www.sshrc.ca/web/whatsnew/initiatives/da_finalreport_e.pdf)