Even though the importance of sharing data is frequently discussed, data sharing appears to be limited to a few fields, and practices within those fields are not well understood. This study examines perspectives on sharing neutron data collected at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) neutron sources. Operation as user facilities has traditionally focused on making data accessible to those who create them. The recent emphasis on open data is shifting the focus to ensure that the data produced are reusable by others. This mixed methods research study included a series of surveys and focus group interviews in which 13 consumers, managers, and producers of data answered questions about their perspectives on sharing neutron data. Data consumers reported interest in reusing neutron data for comparison/verification of results against their own measurements and testing new theories using existing data. They also stressed the importance of establishing context for data, including how data are produced, how samples are prepared, units of measurement, and how temperatures are determined. Data managers expressed reservations about reusing others’ data because they were not always sure if they could trust whether the people responsible for interpreting data did so correctly. Data producers described concerns about their data being misused, competing with other users, and over-reliance on data producers to understand data. We present the Consumers Managers Producers (CMP) Model for understanding the interplay of each group regarding data sharing. We conclude with policy and system recommendations and discuss directions for future research.

Dr. Devan Ray Donaldson is an Assistant Professor of Information Science in the Department of Information and Library Science (ILS) in the School of Informatics and Computing (SoIC) at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he directs a specialization in digital curation. Donaldson is also Affiliated Faculty with the Data to Insight Center (D2I) at Indiana University. He is an internationally known digital curation researcher. His research interests include digital repositories, data sharing practices, preservation management, preservation metadata, trust, and security. His research has been funded by the University of Michigan, Indiana University, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the United States Department of Energy.

He holds a Ph.D. in Information from the University of Michigan, a M.S. in Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in History from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. In 2005, he studied abroad at Oxford University, Hertford College.

He has been a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar (2002-2015), a Horace H. Rackham Merit Fellow (2008-2015), an Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society Member since 2012, and a Research Data Alliance (RDA) US Data Share Fellow (2015-2016).