Fewer still are aware of what it takes to achieve advances in science, or know that the scientific enterprise is becoming increasingly international in character. Freedom of inquiry, the full and open availability of scientific data on an international basis, and the open publication of results are cornerstones of basic research that U.S. law and tradition have long upheld. For many decades, the United States has been a leader in the collection and dissemination of scientific data, and in the discovery and creation of new knowledge. By sharing and exchanging data with the international community and by openly publishing the results of research, all countries, including the United States, have benefited. This information has been assembled as a matter of public responsibility by the individuals and institutions of the scientific community, largely with the support of public funding.
Data are the building blocks of scientific knowledge and the seeds of discovery.
2 Data challenge us to develop new concepts, theories, and models to make sense of the patterns we see in them. They provide the quantitative basis for testing and confirming theories and for translating new knowledge into useful applications for the benefit of society. The assembled record of scientific data is both a history of events in the natural world and a record of human accomplishment. The international availability of these scientific data for fundamental research on a full and open basis and issues associated with ensuring global access are the primary concerns of this report. BOX 1.1 Examples of Benefits Derived from Scientific Research Technological advances in recent years have led to an exponential increase in the amount of data collected, stored, and transmitted.