[tnhh]

Simply providing the ability to upload data only solves a small part of the problem. We run the CRAWDAD wireless network data archive (http://crawdad.org/) and the hardest parts are: convincing people to share data; ensuring that the data can be shared (much of the time this is not possible due to consent, data protection, etc); sanitising the data; and finally (and most time-consumingly) creating appropriate metadata so that the data are meaningful to other researchers.

The Research Data Alliance (http://rd-alliance.org/) is trying to solve many of these problems.

[RichardPrice]

Agreed. There are many aspects to changing the scientific ecosystem in such a way that sharing data-sets is the default, not the exception.

My sense is that the most critical aspect here is the incentives aspect. I think if sharing data-sets can enhance a scientist's reputation, and make it easier for them to demonstrate to grant committees that they have had an impact on the field, scientists will put in the work to curate and share data-sets.