Why don't we share data and code? Perceived barriers and benefits to public archiving practices

TLDR

The biological sciences increasingly value open, reproducible research, yet many researchers still do not share data or code, a pattern driven by knowledge gaps, reuse concerns, and misaligned career incentives. This study aims to define, categorize, and discuss barriers to data and code sharing that are relevant across research fields. The authors examine how real and perceived barriers can be overcome or reframed by weighing benefits against costs. By elucidating these barriers and their contexts, the study proposes steps to mitigate them and align individual and community actions with open‑science goals.

Abstract

The biological sciences community is increasingly recognizing the value of open, reproducible and transparent research practices for science and society at large. Despite this recognition, many researchers fail to share their data and code publicly. This pattern may arise from knowledge barriers about how to archive data and code, concerns about its reuse, and misaligned career incentives. Here, we define, categorize and discuss barriers to data and code sharing that are relevant to many research fields. We explore how real and perceived barriers might be overcome or reframed in the light of the benefits relative to costs. By elucidating these barriers and the contexts in which they arise, we can take steps to mitigate them and align our actions with the goals of open science, both as individual scientists and as a scientific community.