Genomic Data Are Not Commodities: Advocating for Collective Responsibility in Open Science

ABSTRACT The availability of genomic and genetic data is fundamental to advancing biogeographical research, particularly in biodiversity‐rich but data‐poor regions such as the South Atlantic. Yet, despite increasing mandates for open science, researchers face significant barriers to accessing datasets from published studies. While some authors may withhold data due to legitimate concerns about intellectual property protection, ongoing analyses, or conservation purposes, these situations should be clearly justified. Otherwise, prolonged or indefinite data restriction, manifesting as missing accession numbers, incomplete metadata, withheld sample information, poor geographic localisation, or even demands for co‐authorship as a condition for data sharing, undermine transparency, reproducibility, and scientific progress. We argue that such practices constitute more than technical oversights. They represent structural and ethical obstacles that undermine transparency, reproducibility, and scientific progress. In this perspective, we aim to underscore the relevance of this discussion in the context of biogeography. To test biogeographic hypotheses using published data, particularly in comparative analyses, genetic data must be properly georeferenced and accompanied by accurate taxonomic identification. We emphasise that requesting data is not an attempt to appropriate or diminish the merit of the original work. Rather, it is a means of amplifying its value through new analyses and the generation of novel insights that remain grounded in proper attribution and collaboration. We call upon journals to strengthen data‐sharing policies and enforce compliance. We urge institutions to redefine ethical standards around data availability. We also advocate for funding agencies to treat open data as a core metric of research impact. Without a collective shift in culture and responsibility, science risks falling short of its ideals. Data are not academic currency. They are the foundation upon which science must stand.