It's Good to Share: Why Environmental Scientists’ Ethics Are Out of Date

Type Journal Article Author Patricia A. Soranno Author Kendra S. Cheruvelil Author Kevin C. Elliott Author Georgina M. Montgomery URL http://bioscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/65/1/69 Volume 65 Issue 1 Pages 69-73 Publication BioScience ISSN 0006-3568, 1525-3244 Date 01/01/2015 Extra 00013 Journal Abbr BioScience DOI 10.1093/biosci/biu169 Accessed 2016-01-25 22:09:27 Library Catalog bioscience.oxfordjournals.org Language en Abstract Although there have been many recent calls for increased data sharing, the majority of environmental scientists do not make their individual data sets publicly available in online repositories. Current data-sharing conversations are focused on overcoming the technological challenges associated with data sharing and the lack of rewards and incentives for individuals to share data. We argue that the most important conversation has yet to take place: There has not been a strong ethical impetus for sharing data within the current culture, behaviors, and practices of environmental scientists. In this article, we describe a critical shift that is happening in both society and the environmental science community that makes data sharing not just good but ethically obligatory. This is a shift toward the ethical value of promoting inclusivity within and beyond science. An essential element of a truly inclusionary and democratic approach to science is to share data through publicly accessible data sets. Short Title It's Good to Share