Wrangling big data is now part of being a biomedical scientist, and mandates on data sharing have entered the scene. Mandates can alter behavior, but data sharing also needs incentives and shifts in science culture.
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As data-spewing instruments spread across biomedical labs and multimodal approaches are embraced, data sharing must be powered up, too. Much has been achieved, say some researchers in genomics, proteomics, neuroscience and imaging, as do some big data producers, wranglers at repositories and shepherds of large-scale projects. Big biodata’s next phase, they say, needs resources and shifts in science culture. Here are some views on how far things have come and what lies ahead.
With data as with pizza, it’s considered good manners to share. Whereas pizza sharing is a private affair, data sharing is how good citizens of