7. Data as an international commodity

It is evident from this brief summary that scientific data banks are not constrained by national boundaries. Very few significant data banks have been developed solely by scientists within a single country. Most have involved international collaboration, sometimes informal but often under the auspices of an ICSU body or some other international organization. The task of collecting, evaluating, and organizing data in order to create a useful data bank is expensive and time-consuming. International cooperation can greatly enhance the efficiency of this process.

The international character of data banks is even more apparent when dissemination is considered. In many existing on-line networks, the user is unaware of the geographical location of the database he is accessing. The technology for providing instantaneous access to data banks in any part of the world has been perfected. The problems at this stage are primarily economic, legal, and political ones. For example, different national policies on financing of data banks can be a real barrier to a collaboration that makes great sense scientifically. Some governments heavily subsidize the creation and maintenance of scientific data banks, on the condition that access be provided at minimal cost to the user, while other governments may provide seed money but require that the data banks, once established, become self-supporting. The resulting disparity in user fees makes collaboration and data exchange difficult. Political leaders often have little appreciation for the way in which new information technology has made certain policies obsolete.