The QIC-Index: A Novel, Data-Centric Metric for Quantifying the Impact of Research Data Sharing

Abstract: We introduce the QIC-Index, a novel metric to address the failure of publication-centric metrics to value research data sharing. The QIC-Index quantifies the impact of individual data objects by calculating a score based on their Quality (Q), Impact (I), and Collaboration (C). By rewarding the sharing of high-quality, impactful, and collaborative data, our framework aligns individual incentives with the goals of open science and aims to foster a more transparent and efficient research culture.