UK University Researchers Must Make Data Available

Sara Chan writes "In a landmark ruling, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office has decided that researchers at a university must make all their data available to the public. The decision follows from a three-year battle by mathematician Douglas J. Keenan, who wants the data to do his own analysis on it. The university researchers have had the data for many years, and have published several papers using the data, but had refused to make the data available. The data in this case pertains to global warming, but the decision is believed to apply to any field: scientists at universities, which are all public in the UK, can now not claim data from publicly-funded research as their private property." There's more at the BBC, at Nature Climate Feedback, and at Keenan's site.

Comments

Re:Sudden Outbreak of Common Sense

[eviloverlordx]

Glenn Beck, is that you?

Peers?

[Gonoff]

peer review is good

The trouble is that I don't consider most deniers of AGW to be peers of those who are doing genuine research. They are more likely to be peers with their friends/sponsors in the oil industry and other big businesses.

Just in case someone wonders, no I don't believe that everyone who does not believe in Climate Change is in the pay of the corporates. There will be some few who have done research and come to different conclusions. They are probably in the minority.

Peer review is productive when someone actually reviews it. That is not what those FOI requests were made for. They are made with the specific aim of disproving a conclusion they don't like. A review is neutral and could end up agreeing with the other person. This is not likely to happen here. They have made up their mind already.