Sharing Research Data: Tools and Procedures

Erich Weichselgartner, Trier, Germany

It is not common practice in Psychology to share raw data with others. Though most journals and granting agencies require preservation of data for a set period of time, there are no well established procedures or repositories. In times of eScience where data sharing becomes more and more of a practice in disciplines like Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Physics and Sociology, Psychology is late in the data-sharing game. This is unfortunate, because the advantages are plenty: Meta-analysis, aggregation and reanalysis of collected data can help answer a multitude of other research questions; classroom usage facilitates teaching; avoidance of redundant data collection saves researchers both time and money, and many more.

In this workshop, attendees will learn the tools and procedures to generate, document, store and archive their primary data. In a project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), web based software to generate code books and meta data has been developed especially for the field of psychology. These procedures protect data loss, alteration, and manipulation. Most of all, the meaning of the data is retained over time; also, different research groups will be able to analyze the data. In addition, the procedures are helpful when transfering data to institutional archives like PsychData (http://www.psychdata.de/).

Legal issues and privacy rules will also be addressed. The software is available for free for all interested.

References

Azar, B. (1999). Psychology needs to develop mechanisms for data sharing. APA Monitor Online, Vol. 30, Nr. 8.
http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep99/sc2.html

Wicherts, J. M., Borsboom, D., Kats, J., & Molenaar, D. (2006). The Poor Availability of Psychological Research Data for Reanalysis. American Psychologist, 61, 726-28.

A fair share. The concept of sharing primary data is generating unnecessary angst in the psychology community. (7 December 2006). Nature, 444, 653-654

OECD Declaration on Access to Research Data from Public Funding (2004, January).
http://www.oecd.org/document/0,2340,en_2649_34487_25998799_1_1_1_1,00.html

NIH Data Sharing Policy. (October 1, 2003).
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/


Biographical sketch

Erich Weichselgartner has received his PhD in Experimental Psychology in the Human Information Processing Laboratory at New York University. He subsequently did his 'Habilitation' at Regensburg University and later joined ICT services at Fraunhofer Gesellschaft in Munich. Since 2000 he is Deputy Scientific Director of ZPID, the Institute for Psychology Information at Trier University.