Sharing research data is increasingly standard practice to facilitate transparent and reproducible research. It is an expectation of all major research funders including UKRI and Wellcome while the University of Leeds' data management policy outlines a commitment to the open sharing of research data of long term value and underpinning published results. There are challenges however to sharing different types of data. In particular, qualitative data involving human participants needs to be shared ethically to ensure that individual participants cannot be re-identified for instance, and in line with informed consent.

Depending on its specific characteristics, it may not be ethical to share data openly though it may still be made available with controlled access and according to the FAIR principles.

Alongside White Rose Research Online, the Library hosts several data repositories to help researchers share both quantitative and qualitative data, either fully open through Research Data Leeds or controlled access via RADAR (Restricted Access Data Repository). The Timescapes Archive is another controlled access repository of qualitative longitudinal data.

To discuss the challenges of sharing qualitative data, we are very pleased to welcome Dr Matthew Hanchard from the University of Sheffield to discuss his project Fostering cultures of open qualitative research. Matthew is a digital sociologist and science and technology studies (STS) scholar based in the iHuman Institute. His research examines the social consequences of technology (data/information flow in particular), changing cultures of cultural consumption, medical sociology, and research methodology (including mixed, multi-modal, and digital methods).

We will also hear from Sally Dalton, Head of Research Services (Open Research), who will talk about ongoing work across the University of Leeds to develop infrastructure and governance mechanisms to support researchers to share qualitative and sensitive research material "as openly as possible, as closed as necessary."