RDA-OfR Mapping the landscape of digital research tools WG Case Statement

1. Overview

The digital research data infrastructure landscape comprises a myriad of tools for managing and sharing research data during various stages of the research data lifecycle. Such research tools vary widely depending on data type, user requirement, provider, and subject area. In the context of this WG, research ‘tools enable researchers to perform one or more operations, typically on data, and often with data as the output. Tools are usually intended for use by humans. In this context we are explicitly excluding physical instruments.’

The diversity and variety of research tools can prove overwhelming and challenging for stakeholders working within the digital research data ecosystem to understand, navigate, and select the most appropriate tool to meet their needs and objectives. The categorisation of research tools, based on their features, functionalities and how they interoperate, remains unclear. In many cases, research tools are not interoperable, often leading to siloed working within organisations and disciplines, thereby limiting the scope of research and the ability to share and reuse data. 

This RDA Working Group (WG), supported by Oracle for Research (OfR), aims to address these challenges by: (i) categorising different types of research tools; and, (ii) mapping different types of research tools to the research data lifecycle based on their features and functionalities. 

The WG will produce a categorisation schema (a conceptual framework) of research tool types that includes terminology, definitions and associated metadata describing features and functionalities of different tool types. The categorisation schema will be stored in an autonomous database provided by Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. The WG will undertake the following programme of work to achieve its deliverables:

The creation of a research data lifecycle model and crosswalk to existing models (Deliverable 1)

The WG will examine and identify the different stages of the research data lifecycle. Since numerous different models of the research data lifecycle exist that have been conceptualised for specific research paradigms and audiences, the WG will conduct a landscape review to research and consult existing models (see Section 3) and identify common stages of the research data lifecycle for use as the framework to guide the research tool categorisation. Each research data lifecycle stage will be supported by terminology and definitions. The WG will create a crosswalk to demonstrate connections between the chosen model and existing models. 

The identification, categorisation, and mapping of different types of research tools: A categorisation schema (Deliverable 2)

The WG will research and consult existing work in the area to identify, categorise, and map different types of research tools. Such tools may include, but are not limited to: open science frameworks, data management planning tools, electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs), laboratory information management systems (LIMS), virtual research environments (VREs), databases, repositories, and archives. Types of research tools will be described, categorised, and mapped to the research data lifecycle framework based on their utility, and assessed based on their interoperability. 

The aim of this deliverable is to highlight the potential for and current limitations of streamlined flow of research data and metadata throughout the research data lifecycle based on how different types of research tools interoperate. This will be highly valuable in the context of the development of the national and international open research commons. 

This work will contribute to and build on the work of the RDA’s Global Open Research Commons IG and GORC International Model WG. Task Group 5 of the GORC International WG has undertaken an extensive literature review and released a Commons Attributes Model (Version 0.5) that identifies a suite of services and tools that will inform the work of this WG. Efforts to describe the features, functionality, and interoperability of different types of research tools will complement the development of the ‘Commons Integration Roadmap’ (GORC WG Deliverable) by providing key information about different types of research tools, and highlighting areas for the improvement of their interoperability and user experience. 

The creation of a preliminary structural framework for an online open access ‘map of the digital research tool landscape’ (Deliverable 3)

The WG will undertake the necessary foundational work required to create an autonomous relational database that is hosted by the RDA Foundation (as a legal entity on behalf of the RDA), owned by the community, and powered by Oracle for Software. This arrangement has been discussed and agreed by RDA and Oracle for Research. 

The open access database, navigable by research data lifecycle stage, will: (i) contain searchable information (e.g., features, functionalities, interoperability) about different types of research tools; and: (ii) allow for ongoing community curation and further development. The WG will provide recommendations for the long-term maintenance, sustainability, and adoption of the database to ensure that it remains current, relevant, and useful for the research data community. Such recommendations will also propose methodologies for future community-curation (detailing who can contribute and how), management, and governance of the database. 

The ultimate goal is to provide the research data community with a dynamic resource that remains up to date with newly emerging types of research tools and evolves with the ever-changing digital research data infrastructure landscape. This may include significant data and software-related developments, e.g., Artificial Intelligence (AI).

2. Value Proposition

To our knowledge, this RDA WG is the first initiative of its kind to categorise different types of research tools with a primary focus on their utility and interoperability within the research data lifecycle. Providing the global research data community with a high-level map of the digital research data tool landscape that can be navigated according to specific data management and sharing related tasks represents a novel approach to characterising the research data ecosystem. The outputs and recommendations produced by this WG aim to provide value and impact for the following adopters:  

3. Engagement with existing work in the area 

This working group contributes to and builds on a number of preceding and existing initiatives (e.g., frameworks, registries, and directories) that signpost or aggregate tools within the digital research data infrastructure landscape. However, most initiatives to date focus on specific: (i) regions/nations; (ii) disciplines; or (iii) research tools (primarily databases and repositories), providing a high level of granularity.  

This WG aims to build on and contribute to existing work in the area by creating a high-level map (a ‘birds-eye view’) of the digital research tool landscape. To achieve its proposed programme of work (outlined in Section 1), the WG will engage with the following organisations, projects, and initiatives: 

Please note this is not an exhaustive list and the WG may find more examples of relevant existing work to include during the initial research and consultation phase. 

For the creation of a research data lifecycle framework and crosswalk to existing models:

• NIST Research Data Framework (RDaF), specifically Version 1.5 - Provides a map of the research data space that uses a lifecycle approach with six high-level lifecycle stages, topics, and subtopics to organise key information concerning RDM and research data dissemination. 

• DCC Curation Lifecycle Model - A data-centric model that defines research data management workflows and associated roles and responsibilities within an organisation.

• ARDC Research Data Management Framework for Institutions - Australian national framework that features 19 essential elements for research data management.

For the identification, categorisation, and mapping of different types of research tools:

As stated above, the WG will primarily extend the work of RDA groups working on global open research commons:  

• Global Open Research Commons IG (GORC IG: Typology and Definitions)
  This RDA group is: (i) developing a shared understanding of what a ‘commons’ is within the research data space, (ii) connecting relevant national, regional and international initiatives; and, (ii) coordinating the delivery of a global Open Research Commons and monitoring related RDA groups. 

• GORC International Model WG (GORC WG Commons Attributes Model Version 0.5)
  This RDA group is: (i) generating a set of pertinent attributes to identify common features across open research commons by reviewing and identifying attributes or features currently implemented by a target set of GORC organisations and when possible identifying how they measure their user engagement with these features.

Other relevant Open Science/Research/Data commons initiatives: 

• African Open Science Platform (AOSP) - A federated system that provides scientists and other societal actors with the means to find, deposit, manage, share and reuse data, software and metadata in pursuing their interests.

• China Science and Technology Cloud (CSTCloud) - A national platform to provide scientists with efficient and integrated cloud solutions in the retrieval, access, use, transaction, delivery and other aspects of sharing scientific information and relevant services.

• European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) - Contributes to the European Data Strategy by providing seamless access and reliable re-use of research data to European researchers, innovators, companies and citizens through a trusted and open distributed data environment and related services.

• Global Open Science Cloud - This initiative aims to encourage cooperation, and ultimately alignment and interoperability, between these and similar initiatives addressing the challenges of interoperability, technical infrastructure, policy and legal dimensions, and governance and sustainability.

• Malaysian Open Science Platform (MOSP) -  A strategic transformative initiative to strengthen STI Collaborative Ecosystem for Malaysia that aims to make Malaysia’s research data a valuable national asset by developing a trusted platform that enables accessibility and sharing of research data aligned to national priorities and international best practices.

Other relevant RDA groups:
 

• Data Granularity WG

• Data Repository Attributes WG 

• Education and Training on Handling of Research Data IG

• FAIR for Virtual Research Environments IG

• FAIRsharing Registry: Connecting data policies, standards and databases RDA WG

• Global Open Research Commons IG

• GORC International Model WG

• Life Science Data Infrastructures IG 

• Repository Platforms for Research Data IG

• Research Data Architectures in Research Institutions IG 

• Working with PIDS in Tools IG

• Research Data Architectures in Research Institutions IG 

Aggregators of research data tools:

• RDM Training and Tools WG outcome by El-Gebali S, Öjefors Stark K, Kronander, et al. (SciLifeLab RDM Training and Tools Working Group)  - A Miro board identifying tools and services for open and reproducible research in the Life Sciences. 

• FAIRsharing - A curated, informative and educational resource on data and metadata standards, interrelated to databases and data policies.

• Re3data - A global registry of research data repositories that covers research data repositories from different academic disciplines.

• OpenDOAR - A quality-assured, global Directory of Open Access Repositories.  

• COAR - An international association that brings together individual repositories and repository networks in order to build capacity, align policies and practices, and act as a global voice for the repository community.

• EOSC Marketplace and Portal - Federation of services and tool related to Open Science, including aggregators, repositories, tools for the research lifecycle

• OpenAIRE Graph - An open resource that aggregates a collection of research data properties (metadata and links) available within the OpenAIRE Open Science infrastructure using a semantic graph database approach.

4. UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Understanding the features, functionality, and interoperability of research tools within the global digital research data infrastructure landscape will help to support data management, sharing, and reuse to tackle grand societal challenges and address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, this work contributes directly to SDG 17 which aims to ‘Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development’.

5. Adoption Plan 

This WG will undertake the necessary preliminary work for the creation of an online database of different types of research tools mapped to the stages of the research data lifecycle. This work aligns with the RDA’s mission to build the social and technical infrastructure to enable researchers and innovators to openly share and re-use data across technologies, disciplines, and countries. 

For transparent and accessible collaboration, the WG will use a Google Folder for its documentation. Updates will be regularly posted to the WG wiki page summarising meetings and sharing important updates relating to WG progress and timelines. The WG will organise regular dissemination activities and solicit community feedback during specific phases of the project. Community consultation (e.g., calls to action, surveys) may be employed to identify different types of research tools used and required by community members throughout various stages of the research data life cycle. The WG will also collaborate with tool providers and Open Science/Research/Data Commons professionals to understand the fast-evolving digital research data landscape and ensure the WG deliverables meet the needs of adopters. 

It will be important to validate WG deliverables (Section 1) with the global research data community (researchers, data support professionals, research tool developers/providers, research performing organisations, publishers, funders, and policymakers) at various stages of the WG’s lifecycle.  

The preliminary database of different types of research tools (Deliverable 3) is intended to be further developed to become a dynamic and community-curated resource in the future. As described above, the WG will develop recommendations for the long-term maintenance, sustainability, and adoption of the database by different stakeholders (outlined in Section 2). 

6. Work Plan 

A work plan has been defined that facilitates an efficient and timely delivery of WG deliverables. Working Group members will meet virtually via Zoom (for max. 90 mins) monthly from the end of May 2023. Tasks will be divided and allocated to task groups within the WG, and work undertaken by task groups in between meetings as required. Meetings will involve lightning updates from task groups and may include presentations from external speakers (e.g. tool providers, RDA groups, Open Science/Research/Data Commons professionals). 

7. Initial Membership and Leadership 

The WG will represent international perspectives from a variety of stakeholders, including researchers, data support professionals, system/service providers, policymakers, publishers, and librarians. Following two brainstorming workshops held in April 2023, the WG comprises the following initial membership and leadership*:

*Upon endorsement, the WG aims to recruit members from Asia-Pacific countries (East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania).