Which is true regarding data sharing and stewardship?

The statement regarding researchers with federal funding potentially needing to adhere to a data sharing requirement is accurate. In many cases, federal funding agencies impose certain obligations on researchers to promote transparency and reproducibility in research. These requirements can include making data publicly accessible, especially when such data is pivotal for validating the research findings or can contribute to further scientific inquiry.

Data sharing enhances the credibility of research and allows other researchers to build upon the collected data, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. Granting agencies recognize the value of making research data available, allowing other scholars to verify results, conduct meta-analyses, or utilize the data for subsequent studies.

This framework contrasts with unconditional data sharing, which may not be feasible due to privacy concerns or proprietary information, and it also stands apart from the notion of optional sharing, which can inhibit advancements in research. Furthermore, suggesting that only qualitative researchers must share data overlooks the broader expectations across various disciplines that often mandate data sharing as a best practice, particularly in quantitative research funded by federal sources.