GEDE Citation Topic Group

The identification and subsequent citation of data has become crucial for the implementation of the FAIR principles and for safeguarding the reproducibility of scientific processes in the data-driven science era. However the data-citation landscape is highly fragmented, with several, sometimes diverging best-practices whitepapers produced by different communities and/or datacentres. 

The goal of the GEDE data-citation activity is to produce a consensual synthesis of the existing materials. We will focus in particular on practices for citing data in classic scientific publication (articles, reports and books) and in data-to-data citing (as used in scientific workflows). There will also be opportunities for raising and discussing emerging data-citation issues.

GEDE is now looking for data-citation experts from (mainly) European Research Infrastructures willing to contribute to this activity.

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• Procedure and plan for GEDE Citation Topic Group:
  • Identify experts on (data) citation & identification from the GEDE member organisations (including relevant European research infrastructures on the ESFRI roadmap), and invite them to join the task force/activity. (Done by end of September 2018.)
  • Ask all task force members to go through the initial list of source documents (in the GEDE datashare) and suggest relevant additions. (Done by end of October 2018.)
  • Harvest relevant statements & assertions on data citation "theory" and practices from the source documents. Put selection into a draft report. Organize discussion (via e-mail, shared document editing and video meetings) in order to provide explanatory comments, domain-specific contexts. Evaluate the level of consensus around the assertions. (Done by end of January 2019.)
  • In parallel, collect views on emerging topics & issues relevant to data citation. Provide short summaries for the report. (Done by end of January 2019.)
  • Present the report to the larger GEDE group and solicit comments. Update report as required. Present outcome at the RDA spring 2019 plenary in the US. (Done by March 2019.

The co-chairs of this activity are Margareta (Maggie) Hellström and Carlo Maria Zwölf supported by Zsuzsanna Szeredi. In case of questions or comments please send an email to Zsuzsanna (zsuzsanna.szeredi@gmail.com).

Maggie & Carlo