WDS Webinar Series on International Repository-related Policies: Argentina and Colombia

10 April 2025

The World Data System (WDS) Policy Series reviews country-specific policies related to the governance of scientific data repositories at the national level. Documenting these policies comprehensively is critical to fostering global collaborations and advancing science for the common good.

This webinar is the first of its series, and it featured experts from Argentina and Colombia. Our expert panel discussed their unique perspectives on Open Science Policies and how they impact data repositories in each one of their home countries. These sessions aim to inform researchers and policymakers on how to navigate international policy landscapes effectively.

In developing this Open Science Policy Series and consequent webinars, WDS’s goal is to create avenues for sharing knowledge and enhancing global scientific collaboration efforts. Ultimately, we hope this approach will promote transparency and ensure that science continues to work towards the common good by leveraging international expertise. 

Note: The webinar will be presented in Spanish with a bilingual moderator, and translated captions will be available. 

View presentation slides here.

2025-2027 World Data System Action Plan Webinar

20 March 2025

WDS is pleased to present to you the recording of our webinar introducing the 2025-2027 Action Plan. This event provided an overview of the strategic initiatives and key objectives that will guide our efforts over the next three years.  

Thanks to the valuable feedback from our members in 2024, we finalized the action plan and identified key priorities for our community of data repositories. These priorities are reflected in the plan’s objectives, and our actions over the next three years will focus on achieving these objectives in service of the WDS community. 

During this webinar, WDS leadership presented the primary goals and objectives outlined in the new action plan, including innovative data management practices and new practices for data sharing. We also explore how WDS plans to foster collaboration among global data communities, leverage technological advancements, and ensure the long-term sustainability and impact of our data systems.  

David Castle, WDS Scientific Committee Chair, and Suzie Allard, Principal Investigator to the International Program Office, shared their insights into the action plan process and explored the new opportunities arising from the updated objectives. 

View presentation slides here.

Data Repository Descriptive Metadata: Recommendations & Resources

14 and 15 January 2025

In this 2.5-hour workshop, we emphasized the importance of metadata used to describe data repositories, with a focus on the re3data Registry of Research Data Repositories, and the recommendations from the RDA Common Descriptive Attributes of Research Data Repositories. While some of these attributes are straightforward, others are more complicated to represent; thus, the reasons they are more difficult were summarized and time to discuss with participants is allocated. We also covered potential use cases and applications for these metadata. Towards the end, an optional follow-on activity over the next couple months was described.

The workshop was delivered in English, and offered at two repeat sessions to support a wider spectrum of geographical time zones. The workshop was delivered by World Data System International Technology Office Staff, in coordination with re3Data.

Target Audience: 

• Primary: data repository representatives
• Secondary: users of data repository metadata

Desired Outcomes: 

• participants have increased familiarity with re3Data features, metadata schema and applications
• participants are aware of the Research Data Alliance recommendations on data repository attribute metadata, and how they can be represented within re3Data records
• discussions provide insights into the more challenging attributes to represent
• repository staff are motivated to update existing records and maintain regularly thereafter
• a subset of participants are interested to participate in a follow-on cohort to be supported through updates and provide more in-depth feedback

Expectation of Participants: 

Participants are encouraged to attend and actively engage in discussions at one of the workshops. Participants will be asked to complete a survey post-workshop, and to optionally participate in the follow-on pilot exercise that will be described during the workshop.

Key Reference:

Witt, M., Cannon, M., Lister, A., Segundo, W., Shearer, K., Yamaji, K., & Research Data Alliance Data Repository Attributes Working Group. (2024). RDA Common Descriptive Attributes of Research Data Repositories (1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA00103

Contact Details:

For questions, please contact Reyna Jenkyns at ito-director@oceannetworks.ca.

View presentation slides here.

Making Research Data Publicly Accessible: Estimates of Institutional & Researcher Expenses

4 December 2024

Earlier this year, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) released an important report titled “Making Research Data Publicly Accessible: Estimates of Institutional & Researcher Expenses.” Stemming from the NSF-funded Realities of Academic Data Sharing (RADS) project, the report illuminates the financial commitments that institutions have undertaken to align with public access and data-sharing mandates. The full report can be accessed here. 

In the webinar, Cynthia Hudson Vitale, Shawna Taylor, and Jonathan Petters explore the report’s insights on institutional expenses. They shed light on costs shouldered not only by central campus offices—including libraries, IT departments, and research administrations—but also by researchers themselves as they engage in a variety of data-sharing activities. Join us for an informative session that explores both the challenges and investments associated with making research data widely available. 

View presentation slides here.

CoreTrustSeal – Levels of Curation & Preservation: Towards an Inclusive Repository Typology

19 November 2024

Join our upcoming webinar for updates from CoreTrustSeal. By the end of this year, a new CoreTrustSeal Board will be elected and take office. Olivier Rouchon, current Chair, and Hervé L’Hours, the current Vice-Chair, will provide an update on the newly elected Board members and discuss the requirements revision process. 

They will also offer an overview of recent position and discussion papers that explore the evolution of curation and preservation levels with implications for an inclusive typology of repositories based on the ‘level of care’ they provide. The papers have been published for community review. A status update on the next steps will be provided.

View presentation slides here.

WDS Workshop on Open Science Policies across Latin America

11 November 2024

This workshop is specifically designed for data repositories across Latin America. It aims to reflect on Open Science policies pertinent to Latin American regions and collaboratively develop actionable guidelines tailored to regional needs.

The workshop will bring together representatives of scientific data repositories from Latin American countries.

English recording: Workshop

View presentation slides here.

Open Climate Knowledge and Data with Creative Commons

22 October 2024

Celebrate Open Access Week with the World Data System and Creative Commons through this webinar! Monica Granados, the Director of Open Science at Creative Commons, will provide an overview of the open climate initiatives at Creative Commons, Taylor Campbell, the Project Lead for Open Knowledge at Creative Commons, will also join and present about the Open Climate Data project, including licensing options, usage examples, recommended practices, and opportunities for training and consulting services.

In closing, Reyna Jenkyns, the WDS-ITO Associate Director will share the perspective of the World Data System in its endorsement of the Open Climate Campaign and an ongoing collaborative relationship with Creative Commons.

View presentation slides here.

Evaluating Dataset AI Readiness for Data Repositories: Considerations and Approaches

1 and 2 October 2024

WDS invites you to an exciting workshop on AI Data readiness. The workshop will be delivered by WDS-ITO Staff, in coordination with the ESIP Data Readiness Cluster. Participants will be given an introduction to the ESIP AI Data Readiness Checklist which encapsulates considerations for data quality, documentation, access, and preparation. Following rounds of review and discussion for each of these checklist categories, participants will be invited to take part in a pilot exercise to apply this checklist to datasets in their own repositories. A brief synopsis of other AI-readiness related developments will be presented towards the end.

The workshop will be delivered in English and offered at two different dates/times to support a wider spectrum of geographical time zones.

Target Audience: We are soliciting participation from data repository representatives who are involved with curating metadata and datasets (or provisioning of tools for that curation). Data providers and consumers are also welcome, although the emphasis will be on assisting data repositories in their pursuits to deliver data in an AI-ready fashion. We aim to have representatives from diverse data repositories, especially in terms of disciplines and geography.

Desired Outcomes:

• repository staff are increasingly familiar with AI-readiness considerations for datasets;
• feedback is obtained regarding the clarity, applicability, and efficacy of the ESIP AI Data Readiness Checklist;
• a subset of participants are interested to participate in the pilot implementation exercise that will start after the workshop;
• insights are gained as to how the checklist can become machine-actionable in the future to automate validations.

Expectation of Participants: Participants are encouraged to attend and actively engage in discussions at one of the workshops. It is suggested that participants have datasets from their data repository on hand for cross-checking purposes during the discussions, although this is not essential. Participants will be asked to complete a survey post-workshop, and to optionally participate in the follow-on pilot implementation exercise that will be described during the workshop.

View presentation slides here.

Enhancing Data Sharing: Insights and Initiatives

18 September 2024

Join us for an insightful webinar dedicated to the transformative power of data sharing in advancing research. This event will feature a discussion on the critical importance of data sharing, highlighting its role in fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and accelerating scientific discoveries.

One of our special guests, Yet2, a global open innovation consulting company, will present an in-depth landscape analysis on metrics related to data sharing practices, uncovering current trends, challenges, and opportunities. This analysis provides a look at how science has created an incentives metric for publications (h-index) and how innovators are exploring similar metrics to foster adoption of data sharing best practices. Andrea Guemez and Anne McLaren will be the guest speakers for Yet2.

The highlight of the webinar will be an exciting announcement from the National Institutes of Health. Serving as the lead for this project, Kerry Goetz and Amber Reed from the National Eye Institute (NEI) will unveil a groundbreaking new initiative designed to promote and facilitate data sharing among researchers. This initiative aims to set new standards and create a collaborative ecosystem that empowers researchers to share their data more readily, ensuring that valuable research insights are accessible to the wider scientific community.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the future of data sharing in research and how you can be part of this revolutionary movement.

View presentation slides here.

The Value of TDR Certification: A Survey of CoreTrustSeal Certified Repositories

28 August 2024

What does Trustworthy Digital Repository (TDR) certification mean for digital repositories? What are the benefits and challenges of obtaining CoreTrustSeal (CTS) certification for digital repositories? Examining the complex world of TDR certification, Rebecca Frank will present the results of her recent and in-progress research into repository staff attitudes about CTS certification. She will discuss internal and external benefits for CTS-certified repositories and drawbacks to certification.

This session will be informative for digital repository professionals seeking a comprehensive understanding of the implications of TDR certification and/or recertification, as well as members of the CTS community who would like to know more about the ways that staff members of CTS-certified repositories value certification.

View presentation slides here.

WDS Federated Search Planning: Unlocking the Power of Federated Search

18 July  2024

View presentation slides here. 

“Navigating the Path to Success in Disaster Data Management” by Junshi Xia and Zhang Feng

24 June 2024

Join us for an illuminating webinar where Professors Junshi Xia and Zhang Feng will delve into the pivotal aspects of disaster data management, encompassing data sharing, discovery, and integration. This session aims to be much more than a technical discussion. It is a unique opportunity for our Early Career Researcher network to gain insights and be inspired by professionals who have navigated this complex field successfully. Our distinguished speakers will not only cover the integral details of disaster data management but also provide guidance on how early career researchers can carve out their own successful path in this vital discipline. Their professional journeys serve as invaluable roadmaps, offering practical advice and strategic direction. We encourage all aspiring professionals and curious minds to join us in this enlightening journey. Whether you’re just starting your career or looking for ways to make significant strides in disaster data management, this webinar offers valuable perspectives that could help shape your professional trajectory.

View presentation slides here.

Joint Statement on Research Data with STM, Crossref, and DataCite

20 June 2024

Join us for an illuminating webinar where WDS, STM, Crossref, and DataCite discuss the endorsement of the Joint Statement on Research Data and what it means for connections within data infrastructure. Learn more about the history of the research data statement and its role in enhancing research assessment. Our speakers will talk about why it is important to endorse the statement and other assessment recommendations. Guest speakers will include Helena Cousijn, Martyn Rittman, and Hylke Koers. There will be a Q&A and discussion to conclude the webinar. Whether you are a researcher, publisher, or research organization, the webinar will offer great insight into each role in data and open research infrastructure. We look forward to seeing you there! 

 View presentation slides here.

Navigating the Research Data Management Compliance Maze as an Indonesian Early-Career Researcher: Unravelling Policies across Borders

23 April 2024

World Data System Early Career Research Network member Madiareni Sulaiman presented the following webinar.

Professional researchers like us are expected to be well-versed in the rules and regulations that govern research data management (RDM) and other open research initiatives. Even if we come from diverse fields, organizations, and even nations, it is still being determined if we early-career researchers have the same amount of expertise and comprehension of each topic. Because once RDM layer policies are in place, it is also critical to promote the ongoing professional growth of researchers and research support personnel in parallel. The upcoming session will further investigate this issue, building on the earlier presentation at DSWS 2023 in Tokyo in December 2023.

You can also view the slides from the presentation.

Rising Stars: A Webinar on Early Career Researchers’ Conference Experiences in Data 

27 February 2024

Claire and Lianchong, our ECR co-chairs, will share their experiences and key takeaways from IDW23 and DSWS, including networking opportunities, and the significance of their research in the data science community. They will also shed some light on the specific challenges faced by early career researchers and the unique aspects of presenting at these prominent data science conferences.

Do not pass on the chance to learn about their unique perspectives on the conference landscape, sharing the highlights of their journey, the impact of their research, and the role of early career researchers in shaping the future of data science.

You can also view the slides from the presentation.

Applying the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance to Ecology and Biodiversity Research with Dr. Maui Hudson

14 November 2023

Dr. Maui Hudson, an indigenous scholar from New Zealand, will present a webinar for the World Data System titled “Applying the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance to Ecology and Biodiversity Research.”

Dr. Hudson’s research focuses on Māori data sovereignty and indigenous data governance. In this webinar, he will discuss how the CARE principles for indigenous data governance can be applied to ecological and biodiversity data collection, stewardship, and use.

The CARE principles emphasize Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, and Ethics. Dr. Hudson will provide insights on how these principles can guide researchers and institutions to conduct science with indigenous communities in more ethical, equitable, and socially-just ways.

With ecology and biodiversity research often taking place on indigenous lands, this webinar will explore practical ways research can honor indigenous rights, interests, and values in relation to data. Dr. Hudson will share examples and recommendations applicable across scientific domains.

After the presentation, Dr. Hudson and the WDS-IPO staff will hold a Q&A session.

For more information, view Dr. Hudson’s ORCID for more information on his expertise and research interests.

You can also view the slides from the presentation.  

Why Attend IDW 2023?

11 October 2023

International Data Week 2023 – The Festival of Data – will take place on 23-26 October 2023 in Salzburg, Austria and online. IDW 2023 will be hosted by the University of Salzburg through its Data Science and Geoinformatics departments, supported by the Governor of Salzburg and with assistance from the Austrian Academy of Sciences – GIScience and the European Umbrella Organization for Geographic Information.
 
View the recording of this webinar to learn more about the IDW2023 format, programme elements, Whova platform, and useful tips for onsite or online participation. Representatives from the Organising Committee also addressed questions from attendees with regards to IDW2023.

You can also view the slides from the presentation.  

Data Experts on Career Development: Perspectives on Data Management Across Time, Disciplines, and Research Environments with Bruce Wilson

5 September 2023

Bruce Wilson is a chemist by original training, who found himself drowning in data as a result of work in industrial process analytical chemistry and some early successes in high throughput research methods. His work building tools to meet his own data management needs led to building tools to help other scientists across a wide range of domains manage, find, and use data. Bruce presently serves as the Manager for the NASA-funded Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNL DAAC) and as the Group Leader for ORNL’s Remote Sensing and Environmental Informatics Group. In this webinar, Bruce shared his thoughts about successes and challenges as an individual contributor and a leader in data management and scientific cyberinfrastructure, based on a career that includes work in industry, government labs, and academia. Bruce also answered questions from guests in a Q&A sessions from two different time zones, which have been combined into this comprehensive recording.

Roaring into the Future of Research

A Conversation with the Research Organization Registry’s Amanda French

23 August 2023

The Research Organization Registry (ROR) is a community-led project building an open, sustainable, usable, and unique identifier for every research organization in the world. ROR IDs help connect research outputs to the organizations that produced them, increasing discoverability and reproducibility. 

This webinar featured ROR’s Amanda French, who provided an overview of the ROR registry, how to register your organization for an ID, and how ROR IDs are being used by repositories, publishers, funders, and other stakeholders. There was also a live Q&A session. 

See the presentation

Data Experts on Career Development: Open Session with David Castle

17 May 2023

This webinar was led by Dr. David Castle, Professor in the School of Public Administration and the Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria and Researcher in Residence at the Office of the Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada. He is also the Chair of the World Data System Scientific Committee (WDS-SC).

In this webinar, Dr. Castle discussed the concept of “cumulative progress” and how career advancement can involve chance and serendipity, as well as preparation and curiosity. He cited Louis Pasteur’s statement, “Chance favors the prepared mind,” to emphasize the importance of being receptive to unexpected opportunities. He also shared his own career path from science to philosophy to ethics, which was influenced by various encounters and interests. He encouraged participants to be open-minded and network with diverse peers and mentors.

CoreTrustSeal and World Data System: Partners Advocating for Data Repositories–Getting to Know CTS and WDS

20 April 2023

On 20 April at 1pm Eastern (5pm UTC), we hosted a webinar with Meredith Goins, Executive Director of World Data System International Program Office, and Jon Crabtree, Chair of the CoreTrustSeal Board of Directors. They introduced us to World Data System and the CoreTrustSeal, two organizations that used to share an office and now collaborate as partners to support data repositories.

Why attend SciDataCon 2023?

14 April 2023

Are you interested in learning more about SciDataCon, the international conference on data for research and innovation, which will be taking place as an integral part of International Data Week 2023: A Festival of Data, Salzburg, Austria, 23-26 October 2023?

The Committee on Data (CODATA) and World Data System (WDS), both data organizations established by the International Science Council, organized a webinar entitled “Why attend SciDataCon 2023?”. In the webinar Simon Hodson and Meredith Goins shared their insights on and discussed with the community the themes, topics, and submission process of SciDataCon 2023. The event recording and slides may be useful to understand the background on SciDataCon and IDW conference in general as well as to answer questions that you may have regarding scope of this years’ edition and opportunities it offers

Research Analysis: WDS Members and Canadian CTS Cohort Needs Assessment

14 March 2023

Caroline Lee of the WDS-ITO presented on the results of a review conducted by the World Data System’s International Technology and International Program Offices. The review aimed to identify the needs and challenges faced by the WDS and Canadian CTS Cohort members by analyzing their strategic plans and technical roadmaps. The webinar focused on discussing the new organizational assessment method used in the review, the findings of the review, and was followed by a Q&A session.

Data Experts on Career Development: Open Session with Claudia Medeiros

28 February 2023

This was a special webinar for early career researchers. Claudia Medeiros, vice chair of the WDS Scientific Committee, discussed her career trajectory and answered questions from early career researchers interested in how to manage research data, to make their research more visible, and to enhance collaboration with others.