A parasite's perspective on data sharing

Data generation is expensive in terms of both time and money. Sharing data enables the rapid replication, validation, and application of discoveries, increasing the pace and accuracy of research. As research parasites, or users of other people's data, we recognize that a strong science ecosystem requires that those who share best be recognized. We find that widely accessible benchmark datasets have provided outsized benefits, and we hope that the benefits of sharing will also begin to accrue to individual investigators who share well. Funders can enhance progress by adjusting incentives to better support data sharers, which will make their programmatic investments more effective. We note some funders who are making such efforts.