Data Sharing in the Humanities and Social Sciences: Current Landscape and Pressures

The Authority File

In this four-part series, Dr. Rebecca Taylor-Grant, Head of Open Data Initiatives, and Dr. Emily Farrell, Global Commercial Director for Open Research, both at Taylor & Francis, join the program to discuss data sharing in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS). While STEM fields have largely established official channels for sharing and accessing research data, HSS disciplines still lag behind. Particular issues arise in identifying what qualifies as data in these fields and the purpose of making this information accessible to fellow scholars. Covering current data sharing policies and data categorization variations between the Humanities and Social Sciences, our guests investigate why HSS data sharing is important and how librarians can support this work through guidance and institutional services.

In this first episode, Emily and Rebecca examine the current landscape for HSS data sharing. They explain what can be categorized as data in HSS, how the social sciences have a slight leg up in this area, and how T&F has developed explicit guidance to help researchers recognize potential data sets. Our guests also share thoughts on how the 2022 OSTP Nelson Memo has impacted data sharing and speculate on how the incoming Trump administration may affect these policies in the US.

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