NWO: research data is joint property
Researchers who receive a NWO subsidy should make their research data public. The data is joint property of the researcher and NWO, claims the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research, reported daily newspaper NRC last week after a conference on access to scientific data.
Although it seems logical to think so, the NWO claim of co- ownership of research data is not connected with the Stapel affair. The grant conditions earlier already read that NWO research is joint property and that NWO aims for openness. Now, however, it is also included in the general regulations. Ron Dekker, director Institutes at NWO says: “Researchers sincerely belief that all the research data is theirs. But it is our data, at least to a large extent it is. And we want open access to that data. ”
A side effect of the measure is that when you know that all research data is open you will be less tempted to make up data. Dekker: “Open access will not result in all colleagues monitoring each other’s data. Researchers, however, will be less tempted to commit fraud. ”
Scientists are sometimes reluctant to provide open access to their publications and research results.
