There's a very interesting new report available from Danielle Cooper and Rebecca Springer at Ithaka S+R today titled "Data Communities: A New Model for Supporting STEM Data Sharing" which uses the concept of data sharing communities to explore successful data sharing practices and to underpin a strategy to promote greater sharing. Note that while the examples are STEM based, I believe that the concepts are much more broadly applicable and hence this paper should be of very wide interest.

The paper is available either to read online or as a PDF download at

Data Communities - Ithaka S+R

As organizations and initiatives designed to promote STEM data sharing multiply – within, across, and outside academic institutions – there is a pressing need to decide strategically on the best ways to move forward. Central to this decision is the issue of scale. Is data sharing best assessed and supported on an international or national scale? By broad academic sector (engineering, biomedical)? By discipline? On a university-by-university basis? Or using another unit of analysis altogether? To...

Clifford Lynch Director, CNI