Data can be a difficult topic for researchers in any field, but it raises additional questions for those working in humanities and social sciences (HSS). In this blog post we debunk some common data-sharing misconceptions within HSS and its associated fields.

1. Sharing my data runs the risk of misinterpretation

If you are thorough and document how the data should be interpreted, there is no cause for concern. 

Firstly, before beginning your research, take a look at our open data principles so you can set your research off on the right foot and avoid potential misinterpretation.  

Furthermore, if your data is published under the CC BY 4.0 license, there is even more reason to ensure that your research adheres to these principles. Under this license, researchers are welcome to use and build upon the material for any purpose, while providing credit to the original author, you.

However, this does not mean that your data will be scooped and that you will lose credit. As mentioned earlier, publishing data under this license helps to increase the reproducibility of your research.

2. Publishing my data first, before my article, risks someone scooping my idea

Some researchers worry that, by publishing their data first, they will allow other academics to steal their research idea. While this is a shared concern across disciplines, there is no evidence to support this claim.

Nobody knows this data as well as you do. Even with the most detailed metadata and the strictest adherence to the FAIR guidelines, you will still have one major advantage: you are the original data collector. Act on this and make your research paper as detailed and informative as possible.

If your data is published under the CC BY 4.0 license, you should receive credit as author of the data, as well as citations. Plus, there is evidence to suggest that publications associated with a dataset have a citation advantage.

3. Data is only quantitative, so it does not apply to HSS

Do not think that data equals numbers — it is a myth that data is only quantitative! As HSS researchers, you work with a plethora of data but have other names for it. Archival documents, interviews, images, newspaper clippings, case notes, and even audio files are all examples of HSS data. 

Moreover, HSS data repositories have existed since the 1960s. Storing your data in a trusted data repository is essential to ensuring that your data meets the FAIR guidelines. Data that adheres to the FAIR criteria is important if you are submitting your research to Open Research Europe.

To recap, HSS data-sharing is not as uncommon and unpractised as you may think. Plus, there are plenty of resources and repositories already out there to help you along.

4. Publishing data relating to tangible sources, e.g. images and photographs, will lead to a loss of revenue and a decline in footfall for the host institution

This is a common fear. However, Europe’s digital cultural platform, Europeana, found that this isn’t true. Instead, they discovered that making data relating to tangible sources openly available can bring benefits to the institution. These benefits include: 

• Increased audience engagement with their collections
• Heightened visibility of the institution by helping them stay relevant in a world where open data is becoming the norm
• New funding possibilities for projects which request freely accessible content and metadata. 

Moreover, it is true that HSS data has a much wider readership and real-world applicability than academics may originally believe. Both policymakers and educators can make use of open HSS data.

While you may think that your data is not useful right now, you cannot know in advance how useful it might be in the future. For example, historical and social data originating from the Spanish Flu of 1918 has been used to influence academic recommendations for the COVID-19 pandemic.

5. Open Research Europe only accepts manuscripts with data associated with STEM disciplines

Open Research Europe welcomes research from all disciplines, including the humanities and social sciences, if the associated data is stored in a credible, recognized repository. Additionally, there is a wide selection of Community Gateways and Collections available for HSS researchers to submit their work to, aligning with their specific field.

We hope to see you publishing your HSS research with Open Research Europe soon!