The value of dat adissemination to both data users and producers

摘要

As a data archivist it will not be any surprise that I will concentrate in this chapter on the exploitation of the rich data resources of official agencies, commercial and independent organisations, and academic departments. I believe strongly in the importance of getting financial and institutional support for the collection of high quality data. The promotion of their use by the scientific community can greatly assist in this process. I wish to stress the importance of giving access to data in electronic form alongside conventional published material and, where legal constraints permit it, giving access to individual level data as well as the aggregate data. Not all of these data will result from surveys and censuses - access to data which are by-products of administrative processes can be just as important.