Why should you create a data package?

Potential Secondary Data Users

Creating and completing a data package (including creation and completion of all Standard Data Package Metadata files) are important for potential secondary data users as they:

• Allow potential secondary data users to understand enough about the study and data to determine whether the study/data may be of use for their purposes, and whether it makes sense for them to reach out to request access to the data or to propose a collaboration with the originating study group
• Facilitate interpretation and use of the data by requesting researchers

Originating Study Group

Importantly, this type of documentation and data 'packaging' can be incredibly valuable to the originating study group - it can:

• Ease creation of a "shareable" data package and submission of shareable data and necessary supporting files to a public data repository as required by journals and/or funding agencies
• Stimulate collaboration with other research groups, and re-use of data (which may lead to additional citations of the originating study/data)
• Facilitate retention of institutional knowledge, on-boarding of new research staff to an existing project, as well as replication and extension of study results within the originating study group