Summary of Highlights and Outcomes for Year 1 of the NSF Project “EAGER: The FAIR Island Project for Place-based Open Science”
Major Goals of the Project
- Develop and adopt a place-based data policy for Tetiaroa Ecostation and create a generalized data policy for other field stations.
- Adapt and prove the capabilities of networked Data Management Plans (DMPs) for field stations.
- Demonstrate the benefits of FAIR data policies and workflows to stakeholders at the field station.
Accomplishments
- Refinement of Data Policies: The Tetiaroa Data Policy was refined and a generic place-based data policy was created. Both policies were reviewed by legal experts and community stakeholders, and migrated to GitHub for easier tracking and iteration.
- DMPTool Integration and Development: A DMPTool template for Tetiaroa was developed. Integration between the UCNRS Reserve Application Management System (RAMS) and DMPTool was completed, although maintaining this integration faced challenges due to staffing constraints.
- Persistent Identifiers and Networked DMPs: The DMPTool now generates unique IDs for plans, links DMPs to ORCID records, and allows for connections to datasets and publications. New features include repository and license selectors, sensitive data flags, and integrations with Electronic Lab Notebooks and data repositories.
- Advisory Group Formation: An advisory group of field station experts was formed, and the first meeting was held to identify user needs for the field station dashboard.
Significant Results
- Draft Tetiaroa Data Policy evaluated by FAIRsFAIR and published.
- Generic Place-based Research Data Policy and Tetiaroa DMP Template published.
- Integration of RAMS and DMPTool was initially successful but faced sustainability issues.
- Networked DMPs supported tracking research outputs from inception to publication.
Opportunities for Training and Professional Development
- Erin Robinson taught a four-hour hands on session for the UC Berkeley Island Sustainability Class on Data Management at the Gump Field Station.
Dissemination of Results
- Results were disseminated through various webinars and conferences, including RDA-US Webinar, DataCite Community Call, and UC Libraries Forum.
Next Steps
- Adoption of the Tetiaroa Data Policy by the Tetiaroa Society.
- Operationalizing the Data Policy and DMP requirements at Tetiaroa Ecostation.
- Further development of the field station dashboard and outreach to additional sites.
- Proposed synthesis working group to implement CARE principles at field stations.
Impact
- Discipline Development: The project demonstrated linking researchers and research outputs through persistent identifiers, facilitating productivity quantification.
- Human Resources Development: Contributed to synergizing open science (FAIR) principles with CARE principles on Indigenous Data Governance.
- Institutional and Information Resources: Improved the quality and availability of information about research activities at field stations.
- Societal Impact: Promoted public access to government-funded research and advanced public good.
Challenges and Future Plans
- Integration Issues: Sustaining integration between RAMS and DMPTool due to staffing constraints.
- Next Phase Goals: Adoption of data policies by additional research sites, continued development of field station dashboard, and engaging with the Advisory Group to expand project reach.
Key Personnel and Contributors
- John Chodacki (PD/PI): Oversight of grant activities and data policy development.
- Maria Praetzellis: Coordinated technical aspects and advised on data policies.
- Catherine Nancarrow: UCNRS liaison and advisor on project planning.
- Brian Riley: Technical development of DMPTool.
- Matthew Buys (Co PD/PI): Oversight of DataCite activities.
- Neil Davies (Co PD/PI): Provided access to Tetiaroa and Gump South Pacific Research Station, and led the Field Station Advisory Group.
- Erin M Robinson (Co PD/PI): Coordinated project activities, data policy development, and outreach efforts.