Can analyzing data from an existing public online database be considered orginal work? I wish you all a Merry Christmas. I have a question but found no solution to it using the search function.
I would like to ask whether summarizing and analyzing data from an existing online database could be considered original work? The database is freely accessible and it does not require registration. Data is completely anonymous. I can give an example:
Let us assume there is a database that contains information about the food quality at hospitals. People can upload their experience to a database without providing names / identifiable information. I would like to analyze the data and summarize it to answer basic questions (e.g. if people were satisfied with the food quality in hospitals in 2020 based on the ratings).
So I am not referring to a situation where one needs to register, e.g.:
Using public profile data from website for research
My field is medicine.
Yes, the analysis is original, provided that you haven't been beaten to it by someone else. Data is just data, but it is the analysis that gives it meaning. Extracting that semantic content is what is important in research.
But &quot;summarizing&quot; may not be enough, depending on what you do.
And the source of the data has little bearing on the validity of the analysis.
Of course, editors and reviewers will have a say in the value of the work.