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- WHO\u2019s new data sharing policy aims to increase data sharing to improve public health.<\/li>\n
- The policy includes practical guidance to plan for data sharing from the outset of projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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<\/p>\nWith continued calls to improve<\/a> data sharing, World Health Organization<\/a> (WHO) has become the latest organisation to mandate the practice. In what\u2019s billed as an important step<\/a> to improve the health and well-being of one billion people<\/a>, WHO\u2019s new policy<\/a> stipulates that all health-related data from WHO-associated projects must be made available for research purposes.<\/p>\n
To facilitate this goal, research projects and technical programmes funded or carried out by WHO must now develop a data management and sharing plan, ideally before any data are collected. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist, explained the reasoning behind the new policy: \u201cWhen data related to research activities are shared ethically, equitably, and efficiently, there are major gains for science and public health.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhen data related to research activities are shared ethically, equitably, and efficiently, there are major gains for science and public health.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The move follows a similar decision<\/a> by the National Institutes of Health<\/a> (NIH) and reflects \u00a0growing support<\/a> among researchers for compulsory data sharing. The reality of data sharing behaviour<\/a> is, however, rather different. This is attributed in part to a lack of resources, skills, and incentives<\/a>.<\/p>\n
To combat the challenges, WHO have issued practical implementation guidance<\/a> alongside the policy. The authors signpost suitable repositories, give guidance on anonymisation and de-identification of personal data, and provide a draft template for creating a data sharing plan. They also advise on preparing data for sharing, encouraging adherence to the FAIR principles<\/a> to ensure data are:<\/p>\n
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- findable<\/li>\n
- accessible<\/li>\n
- interoperable, and<\/li>\n
- reusable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
As Dr Iain Hrynaszkiewicz, Director of Open Research Solutions at Public Library of Science (PLOS<\/a>)<\/em>, noted in our recent interview<\/a>, mandatory data sharing policies can be very effective: \u201cOften amongst the top incentives to share research data are journal, and funder, policies. If implemented effectively, these policies are proven to work.\u201d<\/p>\n
With an increasing number of publishers and funders adopting such policies, data sharing is becoming a critical component of publication planning.<\/p>\n
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