Published on 02 September 2024

The Research Data Alliance (RDA) is an international member-based organisation that works to enhance and facilitate global data sharing and re-use. It is community-driven, with currently around 14,500 members from 151 countries collaborating to tackle data sharing challenges. Membership is free, comprised of scientists, researchers, and data science professionals from a multitude of disciplines, including many NERC EDS staff. 

World map superimposed

The RDA is formed of open-ended exploratory Interest Groups (IGs), short-term focused Working Groups (WGs), and Communities of Practice (CPs), plus regional groups.  This currently amounts to >300 groups!  These exchange knowledge, share discoveries, discuss barriers and potential solutions, explore and define policies, and test and harmonise standards. Any member can join or initiate a WG. All members get a chance to meet and get to know one another at the two RDA plenary meetings held per year.

The NERC EDS has members involved in several RDA IGs, WGs, and CPs, including:

  • Interoperable Descriptions of Observable Property Terminology WG (I-ADOPT)

  • Persistent Identification of Instruments WG

  • Complex Citations WG

  • Small Uncrewed Aircraft and Autonomous Platforms Data WG

  • Digital Twins IG

  • Vocabulary Services IG

  • Improving Earth and Environmental Sciences Data CP

  • Professionalising Data Stewardship IG

  • Physical Samples and Collections in the Research Data Ecosystem IG

We’ve selected a few of these groups to expound in more detail below, to showcase the involvement of EDS staff in RDA activities.

Persistent Identification of Instruments Working Group (PIDINST) 

Measuring instruments, such as sensors and transducers, are widespread within the NERC EDS. The ability to link an active instrument with an instrument type, its generated data, other instruments, people, and manufacturers is critical for automated processing and for interpretation of the generated data. 

PIDINST, an RDA WG chaired by Dr Louise Darroch of BODC, seeks to explore a community-driven solution for globally unique identification of measuring instruments used in the sciences, through controlled vocabularies, metadata schemas and the use of persistent identifiers (PIDs). The group has collected use cases for persistent identification of instruments, aligned the collected metadata, and developed a metadata schema that you can view on GitHub. They also maintain a White Paper with updated and additional technical information. 

Complex Citations Working Group  

The challenge of complex citations occurs when many objects, such as datasets, software, or physical samples, must be cited in a way that allows credit for each individual object. Often these collections of objects can include hundreds, or even millions of elements, with subset elements from multiple collections. 

The Complex Citation Working Group therefore aims to define this problem and develop recommendations for the research community to address this, considering the factors of using data collection citations and enabling credit to data creators. The group has defined its key requirements for developing a complex citation model and encourages those from the research community interested in PIDs, FAIR Digital Objects and DOI collections to join. 

Professionalising Data Stewardship Interest Group

Considering the increase in Open and FAIR data management and research practices, there exists a growing need for professionals skilled in research data management to support and manage this transition. Individuals in various job roles are undertaking this work, including within the NERC EDS, with demand for their expertise continuing to grow. 

In light of this, the Professionalising Data Stewardship Working Group recognises the need to formalise the role of a data steward and put education programs in place to develop the skills required for this emerging career path. Since its formal endorsement in 2020, the working group has produced an initial report on the Data Stewardship Landscape, a survey report on the Current Models of Data Stewardship, and a resulting report, What does a career track for data stewards look like?. NERC EDS staff involved in the group includes Jaana Pinnick, Data and Information Governance Manager at NGDC, who chaired Task Group 5, and Dr Graham Parton, Data Management Specialist at CEDA.

In my role with RDA I collaborated with leading data steward professionals across the world, including Denmark, Italy, Finland, Ukraine, Australia and Brazil. We produced several collaborative outputs which contributed towards developing the nascent data stewardship professionalisation in Europe and the wider world. Participating in the work of RDA and EOSC widened my horizons and enabled me to participate in global networks in the discipline.

- Janna Pinnick

Small Uncrewed Aircraft and Autonomous Platforms Data Working Group

Small uncrewed aircraft and autonomous platforms (sometimes known as Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles/UAVs or drones, as well as Remotely Piloted Aircraft/RPAs) are increasingly important tools to collect environmental data. For example, BAS have been using UAVs to survey wildlife populations at various polar locations that are otherwise difficult and hazardous to operate in. The volume of data being collected has grown exponentially, however, as an emerging technology, data and metadata standards have not kept pace, impeding interoperability. This brand-new group, which is chaired by Alice Frémand of the UK PDC, aims to remedy this by collecting use cases, documenting best practice, and developing recommendations. Expected outputs include metadata and data specifications, and guidelines supporting the design of cloud-based infrastructure for managing drone data.

This new WG is also being supported by RDA-TIGER, an RDA project that, on request, supports WGs through facilitation, communication, output support, and landscape analysis services.

Physical Samples and Collections in the Research Data Ecosystem Interest Group

Physical collections tend to form organically suiting the needs of their host institution. But now in an open-research world, challenges arise around integrating collections and making them globally accessible and usable.

The RDA Interest Group Physical Samples and Collections in the Research Data Ecosystem aims to bring together professionals (e.g. collection curators, data stewards, digital infrastructure developers) who care about improving the discoverability, access, and use, of sample collections. This RDA Interest Group aims to develop best practice around physical sample management, respecting FAIR and CARE principles for both data and samples. The IG has put together a ‘23 Things Physical Samples’, giving an easy-to-use overview of relevant freely-available online resources. Their work also focuses on creating metadata schema profiles for specific science domains, the use of globally unique and persistent sample identifiers, and enhancing digital infrastructure to improve the interoperability of sample data and metadata.

With its goal of making environmental data available, accessible and reusable, the NERC EDS’s mission aligns closely with that of the RDA. The RDA provides a platform to develop ideas and collaborate with international partners and communities; a valuable route to knowledge-sharing for the NERC EDS. Involvement with the RDA is also a chance for our qualified and experienced staff to contribute their expertise to our colleagues world-wide.