The consequences of these wise policies have been spectacular. For many decades, the United States has been the leader in the collection and dissemination of scientific and technical data and in the discovery and creation of new knowledge. Our nation has used that knowledge more effectively than others to support new industries and applications, and all our lives have been enriched as a consequence. A necessary component of these past and continuing achievements has been the wide availability of scientific and technical data and information, ranging from raw or minimally processed data to cutting-edge research articles in newly developing fields. This information has been assembled as a matter of public responsibility by the individuals and institutions of the scientific and engineering communities, largely with the support of public funding.
Data are the building blocks of knowledge and the seeds of discovery.
They 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 discoveries into useful applications for the benefit of society. They are the foundation of sensible public policy in our democracy. The assembled record of scientific data and resulting information is both a history of events in the natural world and a record of human accomplishment. The recent advent of digital technologies for collecting, processing, storing, and transmitting data has led to an exponential increase in the size and number of databases created and used.