However, this may be too expensive in cases such as the Framingham Heart Study, which has followed more than 5,000 subjects since 1948. A user retrieving data from an archive gets a clean data set that has documentation, and often technical assistance, associated with it. Thurston believes the OMB wrote fairly reasonable limitations on data requests to minimize the detrimental effects to research, but inevitably there will be problems. Government researchers have dealt with data sharing for a long time. Some have been harassed because people didn't like their results.
People can use the law to slow data acquisition in a controversial research area.
Nobody knows what's going to happen, because it is open to litigation. As with any FOIA requests, there is an appeals process. A person who requests data and is dissatisfied with the verdict from FOIA after an appeal can sue. Inc. All rights reserved. We welcome your opinion.