PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Scientific data lost at alarming rate

2013-12-19
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Tim Vines
vines@zoology.ubc.ca
778-989-8755
University of British Columbia
Scientific data lost at alarming rate Eighty per cent of scientific data are lost within two decades, according to a new study that tracks the accessibility of data over time.

The culprits? Old e-mail addresses and obsolete storage devices.

"Publicly funded science generates an extraordinary amount of data each year," says Tim Vines, a visiting scholar at the University of British Columbia. "Much of these data are unique to a time and place, and is thus irreplaceable, and many other datasets are expensive to regenerate.

"The current system of leaving data with authors means that almost all of it is lost over time, unavailable for validation of the original results or to use for entirely new purposes."

For the analysis, published today in Current Biology, Vines and colleagues attempted to collect original research data from a random set of 516 studies published between 1991 and 2011. They found that while all datasets were available two years after publication, the odds of obtaining the underlying data dropped by 17 per cent per year after that.

"I don't think anybody expects to easily obtain data from a 50-year-old paper, but to find that almost all the datasets are gone at 20 years was a bit of a surprise."

Vines is calling on scientific journals to require authors to upload data onto public archives as a condition for publication, adding that papers with readily accessible data are more valuable for society and thus should get priority for publication.

"Losing data is a waste of research funds and it limits how we can do science," says Vines. "Concerted action is needed to ensure it is saved for future research."

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Big data project reveals where carbon-stocking projects in Africa provide the greatest benefits

2013-12-19
Big data project reveals where carbon-stocking projects in Africa provide the greatest benefits It is increasingly recognized that climate change has the potential to threaten people and nature, and that it is imperative to tackle the drivers of climate change, ...

Texting may be good for your health

2013-12-19
Texting may be good for your health Txt4health program piloted in Detroit and Cincinnati motivated people to change behavior to reduce diabetes risk but less than half of enrollees stuck with service ANN ARBOR, Mich. — New University of Michigan ...

Brain repair after injury and Alzheimer's disease

2013-12-19
Brain repair after injury and Alzheimer's disease Technology developed to regenerate functional neurons (In vivo reprogramming of reactive glial cells into functional neurons) Researchers at Penn State University have developed an innovative technology to regenerate functional ...

Research linking autism symptoms to gut microbes called 'groundbreaking'

2013-12-19
Research linking autism symptoms to gut microbes called 'groundbreaking' A new study showing that feeding mice a beneficial type of bacteria can ameliorate autism-like symptoms is "groundbreaking," according to University of Colorado Boulder Professor ...

Modern caterpillars feed at higher temperatures in response to climate change

2013-12-19
Modern caterpillars feed at higher temperatures in response to climate change Caterpillars of two species of butterflies in Colorado and California have evolved to feed rapidly at higher and at a broader range of temperatures in the past 40 ...

Healthier Happy Meals

2013-12-19
Healthier Happy Meals Small changes to familiar combo meals can help cut calorie consumption What would happen if a fast-food restaurant reduces the calories in a children's meal by 104 calories, mainly by decreasing the portion size of French fries? Would children ...

Renegades of cell biology: Why K-Ras gene mutations prove so deadly in cancer

2013-12-19
Renegades of cell biology: Why K-Ras gene mutations prove so deadly in cancer SALT LAKE CITY—Cells with a mutation in the gene called K-Ras—found in close to 30 percent of all cancers, but mostly those with worst prognosis, such as pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, and lung ...

Researchers find a cause of aging that can be reversed

2013-12-19
Researchers find a cause of aging that can be reversed Medical researchers have found a cause of ageing in animals that can be reversed, possibly paving the way for new treatments for age-related diseases including cancer, type 2 diabetes, muscle ...

Anti-epilepsy drugs can cause inflammations

2013-12-19
Anti-epilepsy drugs can cause inflammations RUB physicians investigate how various substances affect glial cells Physicians at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have been investigating if established anti-epilepsy drugs have anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory ...

Emotions in Parkinson's disease

2013-12-19
Emotions in Parkinson's disease Is it the disease itself or the treatment that impairs the perception of emotions? Patients affected by Parkinson's disease may experience, in addition to the more obvious motor symptoms (such as tremors ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

As farm jobs decline, food industry work holds steady

Kennesaw State researcher aiming to move AI beyond the cloud

Revolutionizing impedance flow cytometry with adjustable microchannel height

Treating opioid addiction in jails improves treatment engagement, reduces overdose deaths and reincarceration

Can’t sleep? Insomnia associated with accelerated brain aging

Study links teacher turnover to higher rates of student suspensions, disciplinary referrals

How harmful bacteria hijack crops

Crowded conditions muddle frogs’ mating choices

A new way to guide light, undeterred

Researchers uncover how COVID-19 may linger in cancer patients and affect treatment outcomes

Tiny metal figurines from Sardinia's Nuragic civilization in around 1,000 BC reveal extensive ancient Mediterranean metal trading networks

Natural microfibers may degrade differently to synthetic materials under simulated sunlight exposure in freshwater and seawater conditions, with implications for how such pollutants affect aquatic lif

Indian new mums report better postpartum wellbeing when their own mum acts as their primary support - while women whose mother-in-law is the primary caregiver instead report significantly lower overal

Young adult intelligence and education are correlated with socioeconomic status in midlife

Traditional and “existential” wellness vary significantly between US regions

Smartwatches detect early signs of PTSD among those watching coverage of the Oct 7 attacks in Israel

The pandemic may have influenced the trainability of dogs, as reported by their owners

The withdrawal of U.S. funding for tuberculosis could lead to up to 2.2 million additional deaths between 2025 and 2030 inclusive

A ‘universal’ therapy against the seasonal flu? Antibody cocktail targets virus weak spot

Could robots help kids conquer reading anxiety? New study from the Department of Computer Science at UChicago suggests so

UCSB-designed soft robot intubation device could save lives

Burial Site challenges stereotypes of Stone Age women and children

Protein found in the eye and blood significantly associated with cognition scores

USF study reveals how menopause impacts women’s voices – and why it matters

AI salespeople aren’t better than humans… yet

Millions of men could benefit from faster scan to diagnose prostate cancer

Simulations solve centuries-old cosmic mystery – and discover new class of ancient star systems

MIT study explains how a rare gene variant contributes to Alzheimer’s disease

Race, ethnicity, insurance payer, and pediatric cardiac arrest survival

High-intensity exercise and hippocampal integrity in adults with cannabis use disorder

[Press-News.org] Scientific data lost at alarming rate