DataCite and IGSN e.V. are entering the next phase of their partnership supported with a grant by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for the project ‘IGSN 2040 Vision to Execution: Institutionalizing IGSN ID services’. The project is the next step of the partnership between DataCite and IGSN in beginning the transition of the IGSN ID to the DataCite infrastructure, services, and APIs. DataCite will provide the IGSN ID registration services and supporting technology to enable the ongoing sustainability of the IGSN PID infrastructure.
The grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation will be used to recruit a Samples Community Manager and Application Support Engineer, who will both work with IGSN members to set up IGSN-DOI registration services. In the course of ‘IGSN 2040 Vision to Execution’ transition, the following steps will be taken:
- Engagement
- Coordinate with the IGSN Allocating Agents and other interested organizations to support the transition and onboarding efforts
- Develop and communicate the timeline, introduce DataCite services and provide an overview of transition process
- Resolution
- Transition the IGSN handle server to be managed by the DataCite team
- Share an overview of the technical transition
- Technical Plans
- Share technical transition and implementation steps with the IGSN Allocating Agents
- Provide IGSN to DataCite metadata mapping
- Support and best practice documentation
- Embed IGSN IDs in the PID Graph and ensure relational metadata supports links between research resources and outputs
- Start Transitioning
- Launch IGSN ID registration for existing DataCite members
- Begin transitioning IGSN Allocating Agents to use DataCite tools, APIs and services
- Support IGSN Allocating Agents to join DataCite
- Aliasing
- Ensure all IGSN ID handles are aliased to IGSN IDs registered in the DOI system
With the goal of ensuring citability of samples, DataCite is committed to working with IGSN to review alignment of core metadata and support samples collection workflows. The project supports the initial work to transition IGSN Allocating Agents to the DataCite services and further integrate IGSN into the DataCite technology stack. Future work led by the IGSN Samples Community will support community development and adoption of field-based sample registration tools.
We will keep you updated on the process of institutionalizing IGSN ID services, stay tuned!
This project was made possible through the support of a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
The ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION is a not-for-profit, mission-driven grantmaking institution dedicated to improving the welfare of all through the advancement of scientific knowledge. Established in 1934 by Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr., then-President and Chief Executive Officer of the General Motors Corporation, the Foundation makes grants in four broad areas: direct support of research in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics; initiatives to increase the quality, equity, diversity, and inclusiveness of scientific institutions and the science workforce; projects to develop or leverage technology to empower research; and efforts to enhance and deepen public engagement with science and scientists.
DataCite is a community-led organisation with a vision to connect research and identify knowledge. We have been providing the means to create, find, cite, connect, and use research across 47 countries globally since 2009. In addition to DataCite core services, we support the scaling efforts of several identifier communities through governance, sustainability, insurance, and technical implementation.
IGSN e.V. is an international, non-profit organization with more than 20 members, which has operated a central registration system for IGSNs since 2011. The IGSN is a globally unique and persistent identifier for physical samples. The core purpose of IGSN is to enable transparent and traceable connections between research activities and objects, including samples, collections, instruments, grants, data, publications, people and organizations.
Matt Buys
