Researchers Call For Making Data Widely Available

By Debra Viadero

Although sharing is one of the first lessons children learn in school, a few prominent education scholars are suggesting some of their colleagues ought to take a refresher course in the subject.

The issue: Investigators are often reluctant to share data from their studies so other researchers can reanalyze the information, replicate the studies, or expand on the findings.

"We need cooperation and collaboration and sharing in a way we haven't in the past," said Barbara Schneider, a sociologist at the University of Chicago. "We're in the heart of education reform, and we have tremendous amounts of resources being funneled into...