Data sharing in medical research could soon become the norm, according to a series of articles published this month in PLOS Medicine. The papers, representing authors from the World Health Organization, the pharmaceutical corporation GlaxoSmithKline, the US National Library of Medicine, and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, and summarized in an Editorial by the PLOS Medicine Editors, discuss recent progress towards acceptance of data sharing, in particular for research related to public health emergencies, and for reports from clinical trials. The Editorial discusses the challenges that remain, including the need to ensure that researchers who share data receive appropriate recognition.
Source: PLOS