Research Data Sharing: A Maturity Model for Organizational Capacity

Data sharing is increasingly regarded as necessary and a signifier of institutional and scientific success. Therefore, institutions need guidance to assess their capacity for data sharing and ability to respond to new opportunities. Maturity models are often used in healthcare informatics as roadmaps to help organizations evaluate their current capabilities and plan for further evolution and growth concerning the adoption of digital technology. This approach offers a structured and familiar method for portraying and assessing institutional data sharing maturity.  

The research data sharing maturity model describes five maturity levels across seven domains:  process and procedures, governance, organizational culture, infrastructure, workforce development, data quality and reuse, and data ethics practices, outlining the specific characteristics of each. The levels progress from Level 1, characterized by ad hoc work and resource use, up to Level 5, characterized by stable and continuously improved capabilities.