Increasing Transparency of Data Used in Industrial Ecology Research

What is it about?

The field of industrial ecology is increasingly using large datasets in quantitative analysis. This paper reviews Developments across scientific fields aiming to make data used in research easier to see and use by other researchers, part of broader movement called "Open Science", are moving very quickly. The paper describes developments both across science and within industrial ecology related to the accessibility and transparency of data and the particular characteristics of the field. New requirements for data transparency in the Journal of Industrial Ecology are described as is a system of optional data transparency badges intended to recognize researchers who make their data even more accessible and transparent

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Why is it important?

Increased transparency, accessibility, and reusability of data used in industrial ecology (IE) will enhance IE research by enabling more detailed and reproducible research, and will also facilitate analyses across multiple studies. These benefits will make the results of industrial ecology work more timely. They will enable independent verification of results, thus increasing their credibility and quality. They will also make the uptake of IE research results easier within IE and in other fields as well as by decision makers and sustainability practitioners, thus increasing the overall relevance and impact of the field.

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