Data is often one of the main research results underpinning scientific knowledge. Researchers report their results in publications, thereby indirectly building their reputation and career. Even though research data is a fundamental element of a research process, the scientific community pays little attention to data as an independent scientific result. In order to shed light on the importance of this question, the article presents the concept of data publication, the importance of acknowledging authorship and citing data, and the role of the scientific evaluation of databases as independent scientific results. We outline the landscape of stakeholders who (should) participate in the quality publication of research data in the domestic and international space, and especially the role of scientific journals in publishing data and data-based scientific publications. The purpose of the article is to encourage actors in the Slovenian research community to be more committed to the transparent and timely publication of research data, which is a key building block of open science.
