Data Management, Archiving, and Sharing for Biologists and the Role of Research Institutions in the Technology-Oriented Age

Data are one of the primary outputs of science. Although certain subdisciplines of biology have pioneered efforts to ensure their long-term preservation and facilitate collaborations, data continue to disappear, owing mostly to technological, regulatory, and ideological hurdles. In this article, we describe the important steps toward proper data management and archiving and provide a critical discussion on the importance of long-term data conservation. We then illustrate the rise in data archiving through the Joint Data Archiving Policy and the Dryad Digital Repository. In particular, we discuss data integration and how the limited availability of large-scale data sets can hinder new discoveries. Finally, we propose solutions to increase the rate of data preservation, for example by generating mechanisms insuring proper data management and archiving, by providing training in data management, and by transforming the traditional role of research institutions and libraries as data generators toward managers and archivers.