Community use of persistent sample identifiers and metadata standards: supporting efficient data management in the field, laboratory, and online
Abstract
Physical samples are foundational entities for research in earth and environmental sciences; they are not only the basis of individual studies but could also be integrated with other data to inform new and broader-scale questions. Data contributors to the Department of Energy's (DOE) Environmental Systems Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem (ESS-DIVE) repository often work in large, interdisciplinary teams and send samples to multiple facilities for analyses. This community needs an efficient system for persistent sample identification and tracking that is suitable for the field, laboratory analyses, and online publication.
We are conducting a community pilot test on the use of persistent identifiers for physical samples--specifically, International Geo Sample Numbers (IGSNs). Six projects with a variety of sample types are registering samples for IGSNs, standardizing sample collection metadata, and publishing their sample metadata in the System for Earth Sample Registration (SESAR) sample catalog and ESS-DIVE. The purpose of the test is to evaluate the experience of users and to decide on essential standardized metadata for our community. We gathered information for the pilot test through discussions with project teams and documented several components, such as the efficiency of the process (i.e. use of templates, labeling, registering samples, and updating metadata) and any apparent problems. We resolved uncertainties in use of metadata fields, and added standard terms as needed. Throughout the pilot test, we also gathered feedback on desired use cases, which include: improvements in data management, advanced search capabilities, ability to link identifiers, and ability to integrate and reuse sample data. The pilot test results will inform community-driven standards and tools for sample identifiers, tracking, and metadata in the ESS-DIVE repository. Our overall goal is to provide practical recommendations for efficient sample data management while also preserving and maximizing the potential value of samples into the future.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMIN32A..05D
- Keywords:
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- 1908 Cyberinfrastructure;
- INFORMATICS;
- 1910 Data assimilation;
- integration and fusion;
- INFORMATICS;
- 1936 Interoperability;
- INFORMATICS;
- 1974 Social networks;
- INFORMATICS