Research data sharing: Lessons from forensic genetics

Abstract In this study, we present an empirical assessment of the extent and way in which data are shared in forensic genetic papers. The analysis is based on the scrutiny of datasets published between 2008 and 2011. The elevated sharing rate of forensic genetic datasets (86.06%), is discussed in relation to: (i) the editorial policies of the two main journals in the field (Forensic Science International: Genetics and International Journal of Legal Medicine); (ii) the cooperative efforts to develop common standards and achieve full reproducibility of genotyping techniques in the forensic genetic community.