Welfare Science

Pig Welfare Open Data Science

Open data approaches to pig welfare research accelerate progress by making datasets and methods available for reanalysis and extension.

Key Facts

Welfare research datasets are rarely openly published, limiting replication and meta-analysis
Open data standards including FAIR principles are being adopted in animal welfare research
Collaborative data platforms allow multiple farms and researchers to contribute to pooled datasets
Machine learning models trained on large open datasets outperform those trained on proprietary data
Transparency in welfare science methods increases public trust in research findings

Welfare Considerations

Open data practices in pig welfare research have the potential to dramatically accelerate progress by enabling pooling of datasets, independent reanalysis, and collaboration. The welfare community has been slow to adopt open science norms that other fields take for granted.

What You Can Do

Support research institutions and journals adopting open data requirements for welfare research
Advocate for data sharing provisions in welfare research funding conditions
Engage with open science advocacy organizations working on animal welfare research