When Should Data and Code be Made Available?

Abstract

Sharing data and code as part of a research publication is crucial for ensuring the computational reproducibility of scientific work. But sharing should be done at the article submission stage, not after publication as it is now, say Rachel Heyard and Leonhard Held. Statisticians and data scientists have the skills and tools to make this change and lead by example, though there are obstacles to overcome

Analytical code sharing practices in biomedical research

“…Enforcing code and data sharing at the submission stage empowers reviewers to scrutinize the study’s code, potentially identifying and rectifying any methodological errors early on. This proactive approach not only aligns with the broader ethos of open science but also addresses the prevalent issue of retractions, where errors in code and data have played a significant role ( Heyard & Held, 2022 ). Authors must enter a commitment that their code and data will have perpetual access in stable software platforms such as Zenodo, Software Heritage, Bioinformatics.org.…”

Sharing study materials in health and medical research

“…It may also be prudent to consider sharing to the extent possible prior to publication, rather than after publication, to ensure that reviewers, editors, and other interested parties can review study details for issues, errors, or biases before they enter the literature. [18] How can materials be shared? Proponents of better data sharing have developed the FAIR standards for "Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse."…”

“…For any study, we believe it is valuable to reflect on what materials were key to its conduct and whether or not it can, and should, be shared. It may also be prudent to consider sharing to the extent possible prior to publication, rather than after publication, to ensure that reviewers, editors and other interested parties can review study details for issues, errors or biases before they enter the literature 37…”