Sharing (or Not Sharing) Sensitive Data

Abstract

Recent years have seen the rise of initiatives to share research data openly to facilitate research transparency and reproducibility and to advance and accelerate scientific discovery. However, not all research data should be made openly available. In this chapter, we examine sensitive data from the perspective of data curators. We provide an overview of sensitive data and discuss strategies that can enable sensitive data sharing or facilitate transparency when data cannot be shared. To illustrate the complexities of sensitive data, we provide an example of a form of data that may be less commonly recognized as sensitive—research data on water quality from private wells in Montana. We conclude the chapter with lessons learned and advocacy for an ethically centered, highly collaborative, interdisciplinary future for open data initiatives.