Increasing the equitability of data citation in paleontology: capacity building for the big data future

Smith JA, Raja NB, Clements T, Dimitrijevic D, Dowding E, Dunne E, Gee BM, Godoy PL, Lombardi EM, Mulvey L, Nätscher P, Reddin CJ, Shirley B, Warnock R, Kocsis Á (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

URI: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/paleobiology/article/increasing-the-equitability-of-data-citation-in-paleontology-capacity-building-for-the-big-data-future/5DE206ED3B51F7064E8FD60CA77E8D73

DOI: 10.1017/pab.2023.33

Open Access Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/paleobiology/article/increasing-the-equitability-of-data-citation-in-paleontology-capacity-building-for-the-big-data-future/5DE206ED3B51F7064E8FD60CA77E8D73

Abstract

Data compilations expand the scope of research; however, data citation practice lags behind advances in data use. It remains uncommon for data users to credit data producers in professionally meaningful ways. In paleontology, databases like the Paleobiology Database (PBDB) enable assessment of patterns and processes spanning millions of years, up to global scale. The status quo for data citation creates an imbalance wherein publications drawing data from the PBDB receive significantly more citations (median: 4.3 ± 3.5 citations/year) than the publications producing the data (1.4 ± 1.3 citations/year). By accounting for data reuse where citations were neglected, the projected citation rate for data-provisioning publications approached parity (4.2 ± 2.2 citations/year) and the impact factor of paleontological journals (n = 55) increased by an average of 13.4% (maximum increase = 57.8%) in 2019. Without rebalancing the distribution of scientific credit, emerging “big data” research in paleontology—and science in general—is at risk of undercutting itself through a systematic devaluation of the work that is foundational to the discipline.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Paleontological Research Institution United States (USA) (US) University of Washington United States (USA) (US) University of New Mexico (UNM) / Universidad de Nuevo México United States (USA) (US) Museum für Naturkunde Germany (DE) University of São Paulo / Universidade de São Paulo (USP) Brazil (BR)

How to cite

APA:

Smith, J.A., Raja, N.B., Clements, T., Dimitrijevic, D., Dowding, E., Dunne, E.,... Kocsis, Á. (2023). Increasing the equitability of data citation in paleontology: capacity building for the big data future. Paleobiology. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/pab.2023.33

MLA:

Smith, Jansen A., et al. "Increasing the equitability of data citation in paleontology: capacity building for the big data future." Paleobiology (2023).

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