
By Samia Rizk, MD, professor of clinical pathology at Cairo University
Open data refers to “data that can be freely used, shared, and built-on by anyone, anywhere.” Data which is considered “open” is further required to be legally acceptable, technically readable, and available to others. The many potential benefits attributed to data sharing are combined with its many challenges: assuring privacy and security, the autonomy of participants as it relates to their ability to give valid consent, population and cultural issues, measures for appropriate governance, commercialization, and sustainability of databases.
With no binding requirement, it is a scientist’s decision whether or [...] Read more