Access to data is a small island state : the case for Malta

Abstract

In a rapidly developing world where the introduction of massive online information systems has enabled both the scientist and the general public to interact with remotely-located data from across the globe, the reality of access to data and eventually to information is slowly bringing forth the realisation that decades-old barriers to access to data still need to be overcome. Whilst the massive volumes of data at hand can easily lead one to acquire a perception that there is everything one could require at the touch of a button, reality speaks with another voice; the data is there, the issue of reliability speaks otherwise. The fundamentals of research lie in the availability of reliable data, a phenomenon that has left disciplines struggling with issues of repeatability of scientific outcomes. Technology and legislative measures have caught up with the realities facing researchers.