National Consultation on Access to Scientific Research Data in Canada

Michel Sabourin, University of Montreal , Canada

In mid-June 2004, an expert task Force, appointed by the National Research Council Canada (NRC) and chaired by Dr. David Strong, came together in Ottawa to plan a National Forum as the focus of the National Consultation on Access to Scientific Research Data. The Forum brought together more than seventy leaders Canada-wide in research, data management, administration, intellectual property and other pertinent areas. This presentation will be a comprehensive review of the issues, the opportunities and the challenges identified during the Forum. Complex and rich arrays of scientific databases are changing how research is conducted, speeding the discovery and creation of new concepts. Increased access will accelerate even more these changes, creating a whole new world. With the combination of databases within and between disciplines and countries, fundamental leaps in knowledge will occur that will transform our understanding of life, the world and the universe. The Canadian research community is concerned by the need to take swift action to adapt to the substantial changes required by the scientific enterprise and since no national data preservation organization exists, it is felt that a national strategy on data access or policies needs to be developed. It is also recommended that a Task Force be created to prepare a full national implementation strategy. Once such a national strategy is broadly supported, it is proposed that a dedicated national infrastructure, tentatively called Data Canada, be established, to assume overall leadership in the development and execution of a strategic plan.

Keywords: national data policy, data management, data access, data preservation, data infrastructure, strategic planning