Community-Informed Recommendations for Policies on Open Data for Weather-Related Social Science Research

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Program Office (WPO) Social Science Program and the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder jointly hosted a Workshop on Open Data and Reuse in Social Science Weather Research in April 2023. The Workshop provided an opportunity for social science researchers and representatives from data repositories and funding agencies to share experiences with, aspirations, and concerns about open data. The Workshop produced community-informed recommendations on publishing and reusing social science data and instruments. One insight that emerged was that participants varied in knowledge of federal guidance around open science. Additionally, participants expressed confusion around key terminology such as making data “immediately” available and how the focus on equity may lead to unintended consequences if not preemptively addressed. The Workshop highlighted the need to expand the discussion on federal guidance to ensure diverse perspectives are included and challenges specific to publishing social science data are understood. Moving forward, it is imperative to include other federal agencies, data repositories, researchers from additional disciplines, and community voices with a commitment to open data in discussions about policies around open data.