Scope and financial impact of unpublished data and unused samples among U.S. academic and government researchers
Description
These are raw survey data that accompany the upcoming publication: Scope and financial impact of unpublished data and unused samples among U.S. academic and government researchers Emma C Bowers*1, Jimena Stephenson1, Melissa Furlong2, Kenneth S. Ramos3, 1. LabPair, Inc., Tucson, AZ 2. University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Department of Community, Environment, and Policy Tucson, Arizona 85724, United States 3. Texas A&M Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Center for Genomic and Precision Medicine, Houston, TX Abstract: Unpublished data and unused samples are common byproducts of research activity, but little is known about the scope and economic impact of their disuse. To fill this knowledge gap, we collected self-reported anonymous survey responses from 301 academic and government scientists from randomly selected institutions. Respondents estimated that they published ~60% of their data and 95% had unpublished data. Of those collecting specimens, 60% stored unused samples. Systemic and logistical issues were identified as major contributory factors. The median cumulative self-reported estimated value of unused resources per researcher was $28,857, with life science ($36k) and government ($109k) researchers reporting the costliest assets. Using NSF headcounts, we estimated that the current cumulative value of unused resources at universities is approximately $6.2 billion, about 7% of the current annual R&D budget. These findings provide actionable information that can be used by decision makers to reduce obstacles that undermine scientific progress and productivity.
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