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1. Geoscience data publication: Practices and perspectives on enabling the FAIR guiding principles

   https://doi.org/10.1002/gdj3.120  

   Kinkade, Danie; Shepherd, Adam (May 2021, Geoscience Data Journal)

   Abstract Introduced in 2016, the FAIR Guiding Principles endeavour to significantly improve the process of today's data‐driven research. The Principles present a concise set of fundamental concepts that can facilitate the findability, accessibility, interoperability and reuse (FAIR) of digital research objects by both machines and human beings. The emergence of FAIR has initiated a flurry of activity within the broader data publication community, yet the principles are still not fully understood by many community stakeholders. This has led to challenges such as misinterpretation and co‐opted use, along with persistent gaps in current data publication culture, practices and infrastructure that need to be addressed to achieve a FAIR data end‐state. This paper presents an overview of the practices and perspectives related to the FAIR Principles within the Geosciences and offers discussion on the value of the principles in the larger context of what they are trying to achieve. The authors of this article recommend using the principles as a tool to bring awareness to the types of actions that can improve the practice of data publication to meet the needs of all data consumers. FAIR Guiding Principles should be interpreted as an aspirational guide to focus behaviours that lead towards a more FAIR data environment. The intentional discussions and incremental changes that bring us closer to these aspirations provide the best value to our community as we build the capacity that will support and facilitate new discovery of earth systems. 

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2. Tephra Fusion 2022 workshop focused on best practices in tephra data recommends innovative computer solutions to build databases

   Wallace, K.L. (January 2022, EarthCube Annual Meeting 2022)

   A series of international workshops held in 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2022 focused on improving tephra studies from field collection through publication and encouraging FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) data practices for tephra data and metadata. Two consensus needs for tephra studies emerged from the 2014 and 2017 workshops: (a) standardization of tephra field data collection, geochemical analysis, correlation, and data reporting, and (b) development of next generation computer tools and databases to facilitate information access across multidisciplinary communities. To achieve (a), we developed a series of recommendations for best practices in tephra studies, from sample collection through analysis and data reporting (https://zenodo.org/record/3866266). A 4-part virtual workshop series (https://tephrochronology.org/cot/Tephra2022/) was held in February and March, 2022, to update the tephra community on these developments, to get community feedback, to learn of unmet needs, and to plan a future roadmap for open and FAIR tephra data. More than 230 people from 25 nations registered for the workshop series. The community strongly emphasized the need for better computer systems, including physical infrastructure (repositories and servers), digital infrastructure (software and tools) and human infrastructure (people, training, and professional assistance), to store, manage and serve global tephra datasets. Some desired attributes of improved computer systems include: 1) user friendliness 2) ability to easily ingest multiparameter tephra data (using best practice recommended data fields); 3) interoperability with existing data repositories; 4) development of tool add-ons (plotting and statistics); 5) improved searchability 6) development of a tephra portal with access to distributed data systems, and 7) commitments to long-term support from funding agencies, publishers and the cyberinfrastructure community. 

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3. Enhancing Urban Sustainability with Data, Modeling, and Simulation: Proceedings of a Workshop

   https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17226/25480  

   National Academies of Sciences, Engineering (January 2019, Publications listing National Academy of Sciences National Academy of Engineering Institute of Medicine National Research Council)

   null (Ed.)

   On January 30-31, 2019 the Board on Mathematical Sciences and Analytics, in collaboration with the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, convened a workshop in Washington, D.C. to explore the frontiers of mathematics and data science needs for sustainable urban communities. The workshop strengthened the emerging interdisciplinary network of practitioners, business leaders, government officials, nonprofit stakeholders, academics, and policy makers using data, modeling, and simulation for urban and community sustainability, and addressed common challenges that the community faces. Presentations highlighted urban sustainability research efforts and programs under way, including research into air quality, water management, waste disposal, and social equity and discussed promising urban sustainability research questions that improved use of big data, modeling, and simulation can help address. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop. 

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4. NSF FAIR Chemical Data Publishing Guidelines Workshop on Chemical Structures and Spectra: Major Outcomes and Outlooks for the Chemistry Community

   https://doi.org/10.7298/fs2d-hx95  

   Scalfani, Vincent F; McEwen, Leah R. (April 2020, eCommonsCornell)

   null (Ed.)

   The National Science Foundation Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (NSF-OAC) funded a workshop in March 2019 focused on advancing the sharing of machine-readable chemical structures and spectra. Around 40 stakeholders from the chemistry, chemical information, and software communities took part in the two-day workshop entitled “FAIR Chemical Data Publishing Guidelines for Chemical Structures and Spectra.” Major topics discussed included publishing data workflows and guidelines, FAIR criteria/metadata profiles, value propositions, a publisher implementation pilot, and community support and engagement. This report summarizes the workshop conversations, major outcomes, and target areas for further activities. Primary outcomes from the workshop include identification of key metadata elements for sharing machine-readable structures and spectra, a sample of concise author guidelines, and a publisher proposal to accept enhanced supporting information files including these data types and associated metadata alongside articles. Selected target areas for further activities include the creation of author file and metadata packaging tools to facilitate easy compilation of data, and increased training for stakeholders specifically in the generation and handling of machine-readable file formats. We conclude this report with our outlooks and highlight several related community efforts initiated after the workshop. 

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5. PALAR Power: Principles, Ethics, Methodology, and Real-World Applications for Social Change

   Leeker, JR; Palomar, M (May 2024, National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE))

   While many forms of action research exist, Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR) combines multiple theories for a comprehensive, dynamic structure for community engagement. Participants will be introduced to the principles and four recurring stages of PALAR as a theoretical framework for social change. A series of presentations and activities will then guide them through applying PALAR to develop action plans. Participants will begin to apply the concepts of PALAR by selecting a provided case study or a self-identified context or project they would like to develop during the workshop. To support participants in developing their case study, presenters will share examples from their application of PALAR to an inter-institutional collaboration between a predominately white institution and a historically black university focused on informal engineering education to develop a living-learning lab with a traditionally underserved community. Participants will then explore applying PALAR to attain impactful and transformative social change. Exploring PALAR will include assessing and attending to knowledge production, power relations, and relationship building. Through centering collaboration with other participants, incorporating personal examples, and fostering an environment for sharing ideas, individuals will have the opportunity to explore their projects and discern how to integrate PALAR into their work. Participants will learn about research methodologies used to measure outcomes in a student-led project outside the classroom, where grades do not define student success. Presenters will share their successes/pitfalls and lessons learned during the project’s first year. Participants will also understand the importance of transparency when collecting data from stakeholders to ensure data authenticity. Finally, participants will use what they learned to draft a data collection plan for their project. Participants will engage in hands-on exercises tailored to the NCORE community, guiding them in applying PALAR principles to real-world scenarios. They will collaboratively develop action plans aligned with the specific needs and goals of racially and ethnically diverse communities, incorporating iterative design for continuous improvement based on reflection and feedback. Join us for an immersive NCORE experience in PALAR, where theory seamlessly meets practical application for impactful social change. 

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