Getting data from figures in published papers
The problem: There are a lot of figures in published papers in the scholarly literature, like the below, from (Attwood et. al. 2012)): At some point, a scientist wants to ask a question for which they can synthesize the knowledge on that question by collecting data from the published literature. This often requires something like the following workflow: Search for relevant papers (e.g., via Google Scholar). Collect the papers. Decide which are appropriate for inclusion. Collect data from the figures using software on a native application. Examples include GraphClick and ImageJ. Proof data. Analyze data & publish paper. This workflow needs revamping, particularly in step number 3 - collecting the data. This data remains private, moving from one closed source (original publication) to another (personal computer). We can surely do better. ...