Ranking the factors affecting scientific data sharing among Iranian Medical researchers using DEMATEL technique

Data sharing is considered as a hot topic and a norm in many scientific fields. But it seems that, it was neglected in Iranian Medical fields. This research aiming to identify relevant factors in data sharing. With using semi-structured interview, survey and DEMATEL techniques, the present study identified the influencing factors affecting data sharing. The sample population consisted of 14 experienced Iranian medical researchers in data sharing. The results showed that, education, budgeting, attitudes, and institutional requirements were the most influential factors among others and were pure casual factors. In view of Iranian medical researchers, budgeting and organizational supports had the highest effect on authorship, structures, attitudes, ownership and their trust. Co-authorship, trust among the researchers and research system, legal issues like ownership, and the conditions of data access were not strong casual nor strong effect variables in this research, but had important role in data sharing and should be more considered. Identifying factors influencing data sharing enhance and strengthen data sharing and facilitate movement towards data-driven researches, and scientific communities could apply the advantages of data sharing.