Citation[]
National Research Council, Science, Technology, and Law Panel, Division of Policy and Global Affairs, Access to Research Data in the 21st Century: An Ongoing Dialogue Among Interested Parties (2003) (full-text).
Overview[]
The National Academies' Science, Technology, and Law Program held a one-day workshop to explore the mounting tensions in the federal regulatory process between the need to provide access to research data and the need to protect the integrity of the research process. The workshop provided a picture of the debate arising from passage of the Shelby Amendment and the resulting OMB revisions of Circular A-110. It also took a broad look at the competing interests seeking access to research data by providing various groups with an opportunity to voice their views on public access to research data. In addition, the workshop explored alternative approaches that might be used to improve public access to research data.
The goal of the workshop was not to reach conclusions or recommendations; nor could it address other pressing issues beyond the regulatory process, such as protection of intellectual property, the influence of broader access on scientific competition, the potential for increased administrative burdens and changes in the research process, and the challenge of providing data access in an increasingly electronic world. This report attempts to be faithful to the workshop's original goal of airing all viewpoints from both legal and scientific leaders. It summarizes the proceedings and organizes them by topic, without drawing conclusions or making recommendations.