Virtual SciDataCon 2021 is organised around a number of thematic strands. This is the sixth of a series of announcements presenting these strands to the global data community. Please note that registration is free, but participants must register for each session they wish to attend.
On Thursday 21 October, SciDataCon is hosting a series of session on data in the Earth sciences. These cover the state of vocabularies and ontologies in the Earth sciences (how are they managed and how are they used by scientists?); an emerging initiative on geochemical data; and finally a celebration of a decade of IGSN and of making material samples data open. It will be a fantastically interesting strand of sessions of relevance to other domains and to those interested in FAIR data more generally as well as Earth science specialists.
Earth and Environmental vocabularies and ontologies today: how are they managed? How are they used by scientists? Thursday 21 October, 11:00-12:30 UTC: REGISTER FOR THIS SESSION
The Environmental and Earth sciences are faced with complex and dynamic challenges: they cannot be solved in isolation from each other or from other sciences, such as the social and health sciences. Researchers who tackle real world challenges must have data that are easy to use and understandable in a variety of contexts. An important element of understanding these data is the use of well-organised, community-accepted terminology for data. This session presents seven experts with a range of approaches to effectively using heterogeneous environmental and earth science terms. They will present brief histories of vocabulary implementation, plus the challenges encountered in real-world use. After the presentations, a panel discussion will be used to outline characteristics of vocabularies and ontologies which are required to support existing and anticipated environmental and earth science research.
The OneGeochemistry Initiative: Mobilising a Global Network of FAIR Geochemical Data to Support Research into the Grand Challenge of an Environmentally Sustainable Future, Thursday 21 October, 13:00-14:30 UTC: REGISTER FOR THIS SESSION
Geochemical data are fundamental for understanding past, present, and future processes in natural systems, from the interior of the Earth to its surface environments on land, in the oceans and in the air, to the entire solar system. Currently, despite the pervasive acquisition and analysis of geochemical data in the last century, it is hard to harness this wealth of data as existing practices have resulted in geochemical databases that are located in either personal, institutional, national, or programmatic silos. Due to lack of standards that are especially challenging to develop in long-tail communities, like geochemistry, much of this existing data is not interoperable and reusable: very little is open and accessible online. The OneGeochemistry initiative is proposed as a new initiative to rally geochemists around the world to come together to help develop the required international standards and define the best practices to enable the creation of a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) global network of interoperable distributed geochemical databases. This cannot be done in isolation of standards that are being developed elsewhere, in particular liaison with the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is required so that the Geochemistry Community can leverage relevant standards based on the periodic table that are already developed within the chemistry community. The objective of this session is to consolidate ideas for a viable and sustainable FAIR global geochemistry network to support research grand challenges of today and meet those of the future.
Celebrating a decade of making material samples FAIR and Open: where to next? Thursday 21 October, 13:00-14:30 UTC: REGISTER FOR THIS SESSION
After a decade of successful operation, the IGSN e.V. is working to modernise and implement new governance and technical models which will continue to support the physical specimen communities into the next decade. As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the formation of the IGSN e.V., this session provides an opportunity to celebrate the past, present, and plan the future of physical specimens. This session will include presentations from the physical specimen community to present work that highlights services, tools, projects, and community efforts which involve making physical specimens FAIR and Open. The session will go beyond identifiers per se, and encompass themes of discovery, access, reproducibility, and the support of a global, multidisciplinary specimen ecosystem.
Virtual SciDataCon 2021 is organised by CODATA and the World Data System, the two data organisations of the International Science Council – PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE – FULL PROGRAMME – please note that registration is free, but participants must register for each session they wish to attend.