The ongoing conversation around research data curation, preservation and publication has become increasingly exciting as various organisations have moved to encourage and in some cases support the sharing and reuse of data in context — an activity my own group at the University of Oxford e-Research Centre has worked hard to support through community building and the collaborative development of appropriate software. Funder and governmental data policies have encouraged the open access movement, data standards and advocacy communities to transform research communication; publishers have of course begun to take a more active role as a result. In a world that is undergoing great change there are only opportunities for those prepared to innovate and take on new challenges. As the Honorary Academic Editor of Scientific Data I appreciate the opportunity Nature Publishing Group has given me to contribute from within.  Read more