CODATA-ICSTI Data Citation Standards and Practices
The proposed work of this CODATA Task Group, organized jointly by several CODATA committees and International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI), together with representatives from several other organizations, will follow up on previously completed work and will examine issues such as: What changes in practice are visible internationally and to what extent has the practice of data citation been adopted? How many journal, publishers and International Scientific Unions now require or recommend data citation? What emerging practices are therefore using data citation in indicators of scientific contribution? Aside from data citation, what other means of assessing the impact of published, are Force 11 FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and re-usable) data principles being used? Or are alternatives emerging? How is the practice of data citation and the measurement of impact playing out in low and middle-income countries (LMICs)? The Task Group will help coordinate international activities in this area and in doing so will promote common practices and standards in the scientific community.
The main objectives during the next 2-year period are to (a) to understand the impact of data citation practices in the research policy and funding communities throughout the world, (b) to build and disseminate knowledge about the importance and impact of data citation, and (c) to identify and understand metrics for data citation and uses of these metrics. The intention is to prepare and document several knowledge sharing products. A round of knowledge dissemination workshops (started by the predecessor Task Group on data citation) will be documented and the content will serve as input for a first synthesis paper.
For the new phase we plan to hold one international workshop and 3-5 national and regional workshops dedicated to unpacking the focused objective of identifying relevant impact measures for data citation. The overall output will be a synthesis paper that integrates the findings and presents recommendations. Other research stakeholder groups promoted the good data citation practices: DataCite, the UK Digital Curation Centre, the Force-11 Data Citation group, the RDA Data Citation Working Group, the RDA-STM Publishers Interest Group on Data Publication, the US National Information Standards Organization, and Creative Commons, among others. The CODATA Task Group on data citation previously collaborated successfully with these groups (through joint activities, outreach, and cross-memberships) and will continue to do so during the proposed next phase. The intention is to facilitate the international workshop in a selected LMIC. A second paper relating to data citation impact measures should then follow in short succession after the workshop. Additional papers, reporting on the use of the impact measures, should then follow for regions or nations – depending on resource availability.
Our objectives are:
- To promote Open Data principles, policies and practices: We intend to influence the research policy and funding communities – to make data citation protocols and practice a common element of means of communicating science, supported by an effective research data infrastructure. Data citation practices are now increasingly recognized as a key missing practice in science, and specifically of data-intensive research. Working with other organizations and groups focused on data citation, scholarly communication and enabling data infrastructures, we can make substantial progress.
- To advance the frontiers of data science and its adaptation to scientific research: Data citation protocols and practices are an essential component in the communication of science, and since policy, process, standards and technology needs that were addressed by the work of the digital data TG and the groups linked with it, we are planning on measuring the impact of these approaches. By promoting measuring the impact of the implementation and adoption of data citation practices and standards for research data internationally, we are enhancing the searchability, access, recognition and overall value of such data.
- To build capacity for improving skills and the functioning of science systems (particularly in low and middle income countries – LMICs): We are specifically inviting participants in LMICs to participate in this Task Group. The transfer of knowledge initiatives will also target these countries. The task group itself will ensure that its knowledge and work procedures are transferred to at least one early career researcher / staff member (subscribing to the each-one-teach-one principle).
Task Group Outputs, 2016-2018
- TG membership virtual meetings, monthly
- Desk research to determine what impact factors could be regarded as relevant when working with Research data – both traditional and web 2 era (alt-metric) factors should be considered, Oct – Jan 2016
- Synthesis report on the outcome of the various workshops held during the previous phase, Feb-16
- Planning of the international impact factor workshop, Feb-Mar 2017
- International workshop on impact factors, Mar- Jun 2017
- Published article – impact assessment measures, Jul-17
- National and Regional workshops to dissemination of research findings, By July 2018
- Synthesis paper on the outcomes of the various workshops, Sep-18
- Report on the impact of data citation but also of the CODATA work in this field, Sep-18
Conferences, workshops, meetings and associated reports.
By the end of the current Term, in September 2016, the Task Group will have held at total of 10 data citation implementation workshops in the following countries: China, Australia, Japan, India, South Africa, Israel, USA, Russia, Finland and Taiwan. It is planned to continue this series as interest has been expressed from CODATA members in Indonesia, Korea, Brazil and elsewhere.
Other products or accomplishments
A major outcome of the workshops will be to disseminate widely the integrating report with the recommendations to the global research policy and funding community.
A dynamic list of recommended / commonly recognized resources (frameworks, policies, recommended practices, guidelines, tools, references) for data citation.
Task Group Activities, 2016-2018
- Desk research to determine what impact factors could be regarded as relevant when working with Research data – both traditional and web 2 era (alt-metric) factors should be considered, Oct – Dec 2016
- Synthesis report on the outcome of the various workshops held during the previous phase, Dec-16
- Planning of the international impact factor workshop, Jan-17
- International workshop on impact factors, Feb / April 2017
- Published article – impact assessment measures, Jun-17
- National and Regional workshops to dissemination of research findings, By July 2018
- Synthesis paper on the outcomes of the various workshops, Sep-18
- Report on the impact of data citation but also of the CODA work in this field, Sep-18
Achievements (2010-2014): Practices and Principles
The growth of electronic publishing of literature has created new challenges, such as the need for mechanisms for citing online references in ways that can assure discoverability and retrieval for many years into the future. The increase in online datasets presents related, yet more complex challenges. Data citation standards and good practices can also form the basis for increased incentives, recognition, and rewards for scientific data activities that in many cases are currently lacking in all fields of research.
Between 2011 and 2014, the task group published two major reports, For Attribution: Developing Data Attribution and Citation Practices and Standards (2012); and Out of Cite Out Of Mind: The Current State of Practice, Policy, and Technology for the Citation of Data (2013). These reports laid out the landscape of research data attribution and citation issues, practices, and policies. The group was then instrumental in convening a synthesis group of organizations that cooperated in developing the Joint Data Citation Principles.
Achievements (2014-16): International Series of Implementation Workshop
The main objective of the Task Group for 2015-2016 was to promote the implementation of the data citation principles in the research policy and funding communities throughout the world. The Task Group held a major series of national and regional workshops dedicated to this focused objective and has prepared a synthesis paper that integrates the findings.
You can read more about the International Series of Data Citation Workshops here.
Co-Chairs
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Franciel A. Linares (Co-Chair) Senior Program Manager Information International Associates (IIa) falinares (at) iiaweb.com
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Dr. Jan Brase (Co-Chair) Director, DataCite, and ICSTI representative, Technische Informations Bibliothek (TIB), German National Library of Science and Technology brase (at) sub.uni-goettingen.de |
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Anwar Vahed (Co-chair) Manager: Data Intensive Research Initiative of South Africa (DIRISA), CSIR avahed (at) csir.co.za |
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Executive Committee Liaison
Bonnie CARROLL (USA)
Executive Committee Member 2012-2016
Contact Details: E-mail: bcarroll(at)iiaweb.com
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