The data paper: a mechanism to incentivize data publishing in biodiversity science

<p/> <p>Background</p> <p>Free and open access to primary biodiversity data is essential for informed decision-making to achieve conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development. However, primary biodiversity data are neither easily accessible nor discoverable. Among several impediments, one is a lack of incentives to data publishers for publishing of their data resources. One such mechanism currently lacking is recognition through conventional scholarly publication of enriched metadata, which should ensure rapid discovery of 'fit-for-use' biodiversity data resources.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>We review the state of the art of data discovery options and the mechanisms in place for incentivizing data publishers efforts towards easy, efficient and enhanced publishing, dissemination, sharing and re-use of biodiversity data. We propose the establishment of the 'biodiversity data paper' as one possible mechanism to offer scholarly recognition for efforts and investment by data publishers in authoring rich metadata and publishing them as citable academic papers. While detailing the benefits to data publishers, we describe the objectives, work flow and outcomes of the pilot project commissioned by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility in collaboration with scholarly publishers and pioneered by Pensoft Publishers through its journals <it>Zookeys</it>, <it>PhytoKeys</it>, <it>MycoKeys</it>, <it>BioRisk</it>, <it>NeoBiota</it>, <it>Nature Conservation</it> and the forthcoming <it>Biodiversity Data Journal</it>. We then debate further enhancements of the data paper beyond the pilot project and attempt to forecast the future uptake of data papers as an incentivization mechanism by the stakeholder communities.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We believe that in addition to recognition for those involved in the data publishing enterprise, data papers will also expedite publishing of fit-for-use biodiversity data resources. However, uptake and establishment of the data paper as a potential mechanism of scholarly recognition requires a high degree of commitment and investment by the cross-sectional stakeholder communities.</p

IODE Officers Meeting, IOC Project Office for IODE, Belgium, 6-7 February 2006: Summary Report.

Supported by IOC for IODE.Document available in English.Publishe

2012 IODE Officers Meeting: Meeting by video conferencing hosted by the IOC Project Office for IODE, 30 January-3 February 2012. Summary report.

Supported by IOC/IODEDocument available in EnglishPublishe

Third meeting of the Joint Steering Group for the IODE Ocean Data Portal and the JCOMM Pilot Project for WIGOS, Ostend, Belgium, 1-3 November 2010

The third meeting of the Joint Steering Group for the IODE Ocean Data Portal (ODP) and the JCOMM Pilot Project for WIGOS was held at the Project Office of the IOC International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) in Ostend, Belgium from 1 to 3 November 2010. The meeting reviewed the status of the WIGOS, including the WIGOS Concept of Operations (CONOPS), the WIGOS test of concept Development and Implementation Plan (WDIP), the WIGOS Development and Implementation Strategy (WDIS), and the status of the WIGOS Demonstration Projects. The meeting also reviewed the status of the JCOMM Pilot Project itself, and addressed outstanding issues, including (i) interoperability of ocean data systems with the IODE Ocean Data Portal and/or the WMO Information System (WIS), (ii) instrument practices and the review of WMO and IOC Technical Publications, (iii) quality management, and (iv) Capacity Building.Document available in EnglishPublishedOcean Data Porta