Another standoff between climate scientists and those who are trying to use freedom of information laws to access their data has emerged.

Last week Nature reported on attempts by Steve McIntyre, editor of the Climate Audit blog, to obtain monthly global surface temperature data from Phil Jones, director of the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in the UK. In the course of a month, Jones and his unit have received 58 freedom of information requests from Climate Audit.

Now Douglas Keenan has written about his attempts to obtain tree-ring data from Queen’s University Belfast, on the Watts Up With That blog.

“Some people have asked why QUB does not want to release the data. In fact, most tree-ring laboratories do not make their data available: it is not just QUB and Gothenburg that have been reluctant,” writes Keenan. “… [E]ven if the research and the researcher’s salary are fully paid for by the public—as is the case at QUB—the researcher still regards the data as his or her personal property.”

On his website, Keenan writes “I used to do mathematical research and financial trading on Wall Street and in the City of London; I now study independently.” Keenan has previously been praised on the Climate Audit blog for his work, including his criticism of research published in Nature.

In a statement to Nature, Queen’s said, “The University’s decisions on this matter have been upheld by the Information Commissioner’s Office. Freedom of Information requests for raw data from University researchers are dealt with on their merits in accordance with the provisions of the FoI Act.”

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