DOI: 10.3897/rio.12.e174543

Authors: Luciana Chavez Rodriguez, Guilherme Oyarzabal, Bruno Eleres Soares, Alejandra Guzmán Luna, César Marín

Abstract: A brain drain phenomenon, i.e. the migration of highly skilled professionals, has represented and still represents a severe loss of intellectual capital for Global South countries. Factors driving this migration include limited research infrastructure, funding constraints, political instability and the lack of scientific career prospects in the Global South and the consequences are multifaceted. While this can hinder local development in the Global South, it simultaneously enriches research ecosystems in the Global North, exacerbating existing global inequalities in science and technology. Under this scenario, scientific diasporas represent an effort to counterbalance the brain drain scenario through initiatives that aim to increase science and technology development, which are led by self-organised expat professionals and scientists. While we can find some successful examples of international cooperation driven by scientific diasporas, without a proper organisation and full participation of the governments of the countries of origin, scientific diasporas can become dysfunctional and can promote more migration upon training. We, five early-career scientists, discuss our perspectives and personal reflections on scientific diasporas. We describe three migration models of highly skilled professionals, starting with a brain drain model, scientific diaspora and dysfunctional scientific diaspora and provide some ideas to help the implementation of successful scientific diasporas. We believe that migration must be a personal decision seeking scientific growth and professional development and not the only option we should have to pursue a fulfilling career in science.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.12.e181653

Authors: Eva Bischoff, Rainer Buschmann, Callum Fisher, Charlotte Hoes, Katja Kaiser, André Koch, Hannah Kressig, Annekathrin Krieger, Britta Lange, Sabine von Mering, Marie Muschalek, Jana Reimer, Hilke Thode-Arora, Richard Tsogang Fossi, Simon Ville, Bernhard Wörrle, Joël Zouna

Abstract: Natural history traders have been crucial, yet under-researched contributors to museum collections. The Hamburg-based J.F.G. Umlauff family company, founded in the mid-19th century, exemplifies this significance. For nearly 100 years, members of the Umlauff family supplied zoological and ethnographic specimens to museums all over the world. During a two-day workshop, an interdisciplinary group of museum practitioners, archivists, as well as scholars from the fields of History and Cultural Studies, mapped Umlauff's impact on natural history collections, particularly in German museums, by reconstructing their global trading networks. Research questions include identifying beneficiary institutions nationally and internationally and tracing interdisciplinary procurement practices, especially for collections from colonial contexts.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.10.e131260

Authors: Irene Terry, Thomas Marler

Abstract: The island of Guam’s only gymnosperm and historically one of the island’s most abundant trees, Cycas micronesica, has been devastated by high mortality due primarily to the armoured scale Aulacaspis yasumatsui. This cycad-specific scale pest invaded Guam in 2003 and, in only a few years, this pest caused over 90% mortality to maturing trees and 100% mortality to seedlings. In 2015, C. micronesica was listed under the United States Endangered Species Act. Continuous surveillance of tree mortality throughout the island showed extreme decline in health until recent surveys have demonstrated that there has been improved tree health with little evidence of leaf herbivory on some remaining trees. Suggested explanations for this observed reduction in scale herbivory include some form of resistance in the surviving trees or a biocontrol agent (or several agents) that previously existed or has been introduced unintentionally and is controlling the scale to a greater degree. A combination of resistance and biocontrol are possibly both involved. We discuss in depth these possibilities and then propose experimental approaches that will help resolve this question.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.10.e139777

Authors: Luciana Frazão, Joana Alves, Miguel Moreira, Paula Castro, Maria João Martins, Anabela Paula, António Gouveia, Helena Freitas

Abstract: Defined as the benefits derived from nature to humans, the Ecosystem Services (ES) concept clarifies how ecosystems contribute to human well-being. Despite its relevance, integrating this concept into decision-making processes remains a challenge. Participatory approaches have proven crucial in developing mechanisms for managing, conserving, sustainably using and valuing ES. This work aimed to analyse the perceptions of Portuguese Biosphere Reserves’ (BR) managers regarding the ES provided by these territories through a participatory workshop. During the workshop, each participant specified the most relevant ES provided by the BR. The study identified three key ES: "Cultivated terrestrial plants (including fungi, algae) grown for nutritional purposes", "Characteristics of living systems that enable scientific investigation or the creation of traditional ecological knowledge" and "Characteristics of living systems that enable education and training". Additionally, participants discussed perceived threats, opportunities and potential solutions to enhance the value of these key ES in these areas. "Climate change" and "Pollution" were identified as the most significant threats, while "Climate adaptation", "Quality of life" and "Sustainable agriculture" emerged as the main opportunities. Solutions to address threats and maximise opportunities include the establishment of a closer, systematic and articulated relationship within BR to promote sustainability and resilience. Overall, the workshop was positively evaluated and deemed productive. It was also considered a powerful tool to foster collaboration towards a more holistic promotion of BR' sustainable governance, benefitting the environment, communities and the economy.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.10.e136750

Authors: Sabrina Kirschke, Jannis Glahe, Christine Ahrend, Miriam Brandt, Susanne Hecker, Julia Krohmer, Sebastian Lentz, Niklas Marzinek, Stefanie Molthagen-Schnöring, Mhairi Stewart, Silke Voigt-Heucke

Abstract: Diverse actors within and outside the academic system increasingly call upon scientists to engage with the public through science communication as part of their academic work. This raises the question of how these actors' demands can and should be met in practice. At the conference on “Perspectives on science communication”, which took place on 27 May 2024, at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, interested scientists and communicators from the Leibniz Association came together to reflect on the strategic development of the field of science communication. The focus was on the exchange of realistic goals, important actions and the actors responsible for the further development of the field and practice of science communication. These three topics were discussed in the context of a keynote speech and a panel discussion, as well as with regard to specific forms of interaction between science and society, including informative, dialogic and participatory formats of science communication. The discussions reveal a diversity of goals scientists can aim for, but also a multitude of action areas that need to be addressed by a number of actors to achieve these goals. Goals particularly hinted at an increasing, yet-to-be-defined quantity of communication, including contents related to informing about facts in societal debates, engaging in democratic dialogue and encouraging participation of citizens in research to increase innovation in science, but also process-related goals such as building partnerships, communicating transparently or providing support for scientists. Action areas to achieve these goals are diverse and regard strengthening recognition and reputation, supporting and protecting scientists, providing temporal and financial resources for science communication and changing researcher’s attitudes. In terms of actors, conference participants hinted at the diverse roles of different actors, focusing the discussion on actors in academia, politics and administration, civil society as well as boundary organisations such as the media as key actors to further advance the topic of science communication. This conference report elaborates the results related to these three topics and, thus, creates the basis for an in-depth discussion of the results in Germany and internationally.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.10.e137296

Authors: Ricardo da Silva Ribeiro

Abstract: The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Confap announced the launch of the 5th edition of the Protax programme aimed at supporting the advancement of human resources in biological taxonomy. The funding for the programme has been increased from R$6 million (equivalent to 1,1 million US dollars) to R$14 million ($2,5 million), making grants of up to R$400,000 ($73 thousand) per project available. However, it is important to note that the programme primarily emphasises human resources, overlooking the crucial need for funding fieldwork, which plays a vital role in taxonomic research in diverse ecosystems like the Amazon. To ensure the success of Protax, a comprehensive approach including dedicated funds for expeditions and biological collections is essential.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.10.e137763

Authors: Christos Arvanitidis, Boris Barov, Alberto Basset, Klaas Deneudt, Montserrat González Ferreiro, Federico Drago, Cristina Huertas Olivares, Declan Kirrane, Dimitrios Koureas, Natalia Manola, Daniel Mietchen, Nicolas Pade, Lyubomir Penev, Gabriela Zuquim, Yannis Ioannidis

Abstract: A network of European organisations is coordinating a workshop in New York (USA) on September 26, 2024, as part of the Science Summit 2024 at the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA79). This network represents active communities from the fields of biodiversity, ecology, and engineering. It aims to strengthen science, technology, and innovation efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).These communities, through European initiatives like the European Research Infrastructures, the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), and Digital Twin projects, have selected the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-M GBF) as a testbed for contributing to the SDGs. Their collective focus is on the network shared impact rather than individual projects. By examining a common approach to the K-M GBF, they aim to enhance their contributions to the framework's strategic goals, particularly its 2030 and 2050 targets.In this direction, the network: Recognises the contribution and rights of indigenous peoples and local communities as custodians of biodiversity and holders of traditional knowledge for the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of ecosystems. By adhering to the Open Science principles of “Findable Accessible Interoperable Reusable” (FAIR) and “Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics” (CARE), and by being consistent with the practices adopted by the scientific community, the members of the network promote traceability of their work and of the materials they use, including those provided by indigenous peoples.Implements a variety of approaches to improve biodiversity monitoring, management, and protection. It promotes multi- and cross-disciplinary, integrative approaches to enhance its contribution to many of the Framework objectives. Its members support research on biodiversity at all levels of the biological organisation, from single-celled organisms, through collections and specimen data and up to the scale of ecosystems, as well as on how biodiversity responds to climate change. A key role in this process is already being played by the biodiversity Research Infrastructures, both in the EU and globally, through bi- and multi-directional linking and an increased interoperability of their data holdings, the provision of advanced access to semantically structured FAIR data, the provision of single points of access to federated data discovery from different data domains, thus supporting multi-disciplinary research addressing questions of high complexity and importance to society.All organisations in the network are committed to the three principal objectives of the Convention on the Biological Diversity, namely conservation, sustainable use, and fair sharing of benefits derived from the utilisation of natural resources. They contribute significantly to the three above principal objectives of the CBD, by: (a) making biodiversity information readily available and developing systems to support decision making and conservation efforts that directly contribute to our ability to live sustainably with nature, as concerns the first of the principal objectives above; (b) identifying priorities and targets and raising awareness of the need to streamline efforts among scientific and societal actors, are critical elements towards the second objective; (c) developing technologies to enable the sharing of data, services and other products related to genetic resources, which are used in combination with any other type of resource or product (e.g. taxonomic, literature, environmental, etc.), are included among the activities to achieve the third principal objective. Contributes to the achievement of the K-M GBF objectives through science, technology and innovation, based on scientific evidence, traditional knowledge, and innovative practices. This support is translated into activities such as: (a) providing solutions for research, data sharing and management, and scientific computing solutions to researchers, learners, policy makers, public administrations and businesses; (b) developing standard operating procedures, implementing standards, and promoting open science principles to enhance research integrity, accuracy and accountability in science; (c) providing federated research services, resources, and other research products to promote multidisciplinary knowledge and innovation; (d) creating models (e.g. of climate and human activity related land-use changes in biodiversity dynamics and ecosystem services), automated data flows (from sensors to data systems) and integration (e.g. biodiversity data flows combined with environmental and human activity variables; (e) building digital twins for informed decision making, such as the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (European DTO), with assured connectivity to newly collected high quality environmental and biodiversity data; (f) providing training and capacity building services for innovative tools.Supports the consideration of the ecosystem approach principle in the implementation of the K-M GBF, with a number of activities being developed by the network: (a) providing virtual representations of the ocean and land, integrating observations, modelling, and digital infrastructures, and creating digital twins that allow the scientific community to simulate and study “what if” scenarios; (b) developing and implementing technologies that enable a cross-domain, multidisciplinary approach to the study of biodiversity and ecosystems; (c) promoting ecosystem-based approaches to biodiversity management and habitat conservation in innovative publications venues (e.g. Nature Conservation, Biodiversity Data Journal, One Ecosystem, etc.).Promotes collaboration and synergies between the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Protocols, as well as with other biodiversity-related conventions, relevant multilateral agreements and international organisations and processes, as this will facilitate the implementation of the K-M GBF. The network is developing a variety of work, including: (a) collaborating with bodies and organisations responsible for the implementation of the CBD and its Protocols (e.g. IUCN, IPBES, European Commission) to co-design and co-develop research resources and products to support their mandates; (b) establishing strong links with policy actors such as the European Commission and the European Parliament, the JRC and others. Participate in social, scientific and technical initiatives in the European arena, such as the European Green Deal, the EU Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity and its Science Service for Biodiversity, the Biodiversity Knowledge Hub, the EU Pollinators Initiative and the EOSC. Developing links with the private sector through the Science/Business initiative, cooperation with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), and the EOSC Digital Innovation Hub (EOSC DIH); (c) integrating and sharing of computational resources and expertise will not only advance the frontiers of scientific knowledge, but also ensure that data-driven research initiatives around the world are well supported.Contributes to the understanding and researching of the links between biodiversity and health. Particular emphasis will be placed on the following activities: (a) participating in initiatives and projects such as the EOSC Health Cluster, a platform for interdisciplinary research, EC projects such as B4Life, B-Cubed and BioAgora by publishing research that investigates how biodiversity affects human health; (b) using data from multiple sources to numerically demonstrate the links between human and environmental health, in the context of the One Health concept; (c) using digital twins to create Virtual Research Environments (VREs) that generate knowledge on how biodiversity patterns derived from taxa and habitats interact with patterns derived from data and information on their health; (d) publishing the results of the research, such as studies on zoonotic diseases, biodiversity and mental health, and the benefits of ecosystem services for public health. During the workshop, the participants will present their collective contribution to the implementation of the K-M GBF and invite international and regional stakeholders to present their expectations on the above topic. Based on stakeholder input, the network will publish a white paper outlining its approach.Finally, these communities will issue an open call to forge an international alliance to further integrate biodiversity conservation into the priorities of the UN Summit of the Future agenda priorities and the post-SDG agenda.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.10.e107983

Authors: Katherine McLean

Abstract: Since the first discoveries of Neanderthal fossils, their derived characteristics, such as increased robusticity, have engaged researchers. Adaptation to cold environments has been hypothesised to explain such traits and this hypothesis has driven the majority of discourse. This proposal seeks to examine this hypothesis and locate evidence of Neanderthals being physiologically adapted to cold at the biomolecular level. Haemoglobin is a biomolecule that has been previously demonstrated to adapt to cold in some species, driven by the inhibition of the protein’s function by low temperatures. Neanderthal haemoglobin is extinct; however, using pre-sequenced genomic data, I propose to resurrect Neanderthal haemoglobin so I can examine the consequences of lowered temperature on its function. This project could potentially detect signs of cold adaptation in the Neanderthal globin genes and provide empirical evidence for the cold adaptation hypothesis.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.10.e120899

Authors: Maame Ekua Acquah, Frank Aboagye, Yvonne Ashong, Lydia Mosi

Abstract: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects more than 200 million people and 45% of infections have been shown to occur in school-aged children. A large percentage of the disease burden lies in Africa. In 2012, the WHO outlined a roadmap for the elimination of schistosomiasis by 2020; however, this was not achieved. Treatment for schistosomiasis is by the use of Praziquantel, a drug in use for over 30 years and there is a concern for emerging drug resistance. There are several species of the genus Schistosoma causing infection in humans. For this study, Schistosoma mansoni which causes intestinal schistosomiasis will be investigated. There are reports of lowering cure rates and suboptimal response to praziquantel following several cycles of mass drug administration (MDA). Praziquantel resistance has also been reported in some countries and laboratory-bred schistosome experiments. To address the concerns of resistance, this study aims to employ a two-part approach to assess the prevalence of S. mansoni. praziquantel resistance amongst school-aged children in schistosomiasis endemic communities in Ghana and develop a diagnostic tool to aid in field assessment of infections. To achieve this, the study will attempt to answer the following research questions: 1. Is there developing S. mansoni praziquantel resistance in communities that have undergone several mass drug administrations? 2. Is there an interplay between intermediate host exposure to praziquantel and the development of praziquantel drug resistance in the definitive host?

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.10.e118244

Authors: Laura Tilley, Matt Woodburn, Sarah Vincent, Ana Casino, Wouter Addink, Frederik Berger, Ann Bogaerts, Sofie De Smedt, Lisa French, Sharif Islam, Patricia Mergen, Anne Nivart, Beata Papp, Mareike Petersen, Celia Santos, Edmund Schiller, Patrick Semal, Vincent Smith, Karin Wiltschke

Abstract: This paper describes the design and build of a pilot Natural Sciences Collections Digitisation Dashboard (CDD). The CDD will become a key service for the Distributed System of Scientific Collections Research Infrastructure (DiSSCo) and aims to improve the discoverability of natural science collections (NSCs) held in European institutions, both digitised and undigitised. Furthermore, it will serve as a dynamic visual assessment tool for strategic decision-making, including the prioritisation of digitisation. The CDD pilot includes high-level information from nine European NSCs, covering the number of objects, taxonomic scope, storage type, chronostratigraphy (Earth Science Collections), geographical region and level of detail in digitisation. This information is structured through a standardised Collection Classification Scheme, which uses high-level categorisation to describe physical natural science collections.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.10.e119805

Authors: Daniel Mietchen, Jonathan Jeschke, Tina Heger

Abstract: Hypotheses play a central role in the scientific process, yet the way they are introduced often leaves much room for interpretation, which makes it difficult to use them later on: to study and test them, to delineate their scope and to explore the relationships they have to other hypotheses or concepts, to datasets, methodologies or other resources. Here, we introduce a new article type in RIO that is dedicated to them: Hypothesis Descriptions. Such articles combine a specific verbal definition of a hypothesis with a concise description of its components and provide pointers to prior work as well as alignments with formal ways of knowledge representation, optionally including relevant nanopublications. With this format, we aim to facilitate the study of hypotheses in and of themselves, to improve their testability along with the documentation and interpretability of such tests, and to stimulate efforts towards standardization and automation in this space.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.10.e114366

Authors: Edmund Schiller, Karin Wiltschke-Schrotta, Eva Häffner, Jutta Buschbom, Frederik Leliaert, Breda Zimkus, John Dickie, Suzete Gomes, Chris Lyal, Daniel Mulcahy, Alan Paton, Gabi Droege

Abstract: We present two different typologies of legal/contractual information in the context of natural history objects: the Biodiversity Permit/Contract Typology categorises permits and contracts, and the Typology of Legal/Contractual Terms for Biodiversity Specimens categorises the terms within permits and contracts. The Typologies have been developed under the EU-funded SYNTHESYS+ project with the participation of experts from outside the consortium. The document further addresses a possible technical integration of these typologies into the Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo). The implementation in the DiSSCo data model is outlined and a concrete use case is presented to show how conditions, e.g. the Typology of Legal/Contractual Terms, can be introduced into the DiSSCo Electronic Loans and Visits System (ElViS). Finally, we give an outlook on the next steps to develop the typologies into a standard that supports compliance with legal and contractual obligations within the wider community of natural science collections.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.9.e115796

Authors: Loïc Van Audenhaege, Vincent Mahamadaly, David Price, Alexandre Sneessens, Hayley Cawthra, Clément Delamare, Valentin Danet, Simon Delsol, Rodolphe Devillers, Iason-Zois Gazis, Isabel Urbina-Barreto

Abstract: For the past decades, photogrammetry has been increasingly used for monitoring spatial arrangement or temporal dynamics of submerged man-made structures and natural systems. As photogrammetry remains a nascent technique for data collection in the underwater environment, acquisition workflows have evolved constrained by specific methodological practicalities (e.g. euphotic environments vs. deep-sea waters). The annual GeoHab conference gathers a world-wide range of scientists interested in mapping and is, therefore, an adequate event to set up a state-of-the-art workshop on (underwater) photogrammetry. More specifically, a preliminary survey identified the overall lack of photogrammetry knowledge from the audience. A programme was conceptualised to explore within a day theoretical concepts, sampling design and practicalities and a wide range of case studies in various underwater environments. Furthermore, we provided manual training on data acquisition and processing. In overall, a post-survey demonstrated the audience’s satisfaction despite a remaining lack of confidence for implementing their own photogrammetry studies. As this workshop gathers a diversity of materials and a training relevant for a scientific audience, it sets the stage for a reproducible event and leaves room for future improvements. Finally, it provided relevant materials and discussions that enabled us to identify the aspects limiting photogrammetry methodology across scientific applications and institutes, in order to work towards standardisation.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.9.e115466

Authors: Laurence Benichou, Donat Agosti, Willi Egloff, Elisa Hermann, Mariko Kageyama, Patricia Mergen, Constance Rinaldo, Jutta Buschbom

Abstract: The EU and other states have made legislative efforts to clarify data mining in copyrightable works, but the situation remains obscure and confusing, especially in a globalised field where international legislation can contribute to opacity. The present paper aims at asserting a common position of three communities representing biodiversity sciences and data specialists on this issue and to propose common and best practice guidelines so that they become universally accepted rules.As scientific data users, we take the standpoint that scientific data are not copyrightable and, furthermore, they can be accessed, shared and reused freely. Thus, once legal access has been gained to copyrighted publications, the data within those scholarly publications can be considered to be open data that is freely extractable. This set of recommendations has been reached specifically for scientific use and societal benefits.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.9.e114736

Authors: Roberto Braga, Robson Godinho

Abstract: The Dynamic Laser Speckle (DLS) is a photonic phenomenon transformed into a technique to monitor tiny changes in many materials, particularly in biological ones (Biospeckle Laser – BSL). Its high sensitivity is key to monitor tiny changes in the tissues that can characterise biological features in medical and in agricultural samples. This work aimed to develop an environment at the world-wide-web to share raw data of BSL and to offer access to an interactively online analysis with tutorials. The gateway designed was implemented using PHP and JavaScript tools solving the challenges of managing data (images) and online interactive use. The result was an easy-to-use environment boosting the BSL research. The early results presented thousands of accesses and of more than one hundred different users from all around the world.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.9.e108804

Authors: Daniel Mietchen

Abstract: This proposal outlines an open, transparent and collaborative process to design a Metascience Institute that would apply the scientific method onto itself, with the mission to improve the research landscape systemically in terms of maximizing societal benefit and public documentation thereof. This facility is envisaged to engage in the systematic study of the research ecosystem, initially at a national level in Germany but later on also in other contexts. As such, the Metascience Institute would assess systemic properties, interactions of different components within and beyond the research system and how the roles played by various components are aligned with goals of relevant stakeholder groups and broader societal benefits. Collaborating with any interested stakeholders on an initially narrow yet steadily expanding range of intra- and transdisciplinary use cases and using an appropriate mix of experimental, theoretical, empirical and computational approaches, the Metascience Institute would assess existing and proposed policies and practices in the research ecosystem and engage in public discourse around them, including by assessing the relative costs, benefits and side effects of alternative parametrizations of the system. The project proposed here is to design the organizational structure of such a Metascience Institute in an evidence-based and community-led fashion, to seed it with organizational values, to establish it as an independent legal entity with open and transparent policies and practices, to provide it with an initial technical infrastructure online, to design evidence-based and sustainable mechanisms by which it prioritizes its activities, and to document the entire process in a way that would facilitate reuse and adaptation by other communities or entities aiming at evidence-based systemic improvements to the research ecosystem or selected niches within it.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.9.e105155

Authors: Mathilde Bessert-Nettelbeck, Andreas Bischof, Ulrike Sturm, Emilia Nagy, Martina Schraudner, Julia Backhaus, Till Bruckermann, Susanne Hecker, Justus Henke, Karola Köpferl, Sabrina Kirschke, Christin Liedtke, Felix Mahr, Arne Maibaum, Audrey Podann, Wiebke Rössig, Martina Schäfer, Carolin Schröder, Philipp Schrögel, Victoria Shennan, Norbert Steinhaus, Mhairi Stewart, Vanessa van den Bogaert, Silke Voigt-Heucke

Abstract: Citizen science, transdisciplinary research, dialogic forms of science communication or public engagement: these and other research approaches and fields, often subsumed under participatory research, have in common that they enable people outside of academia to actively engage in the production of scientific knowledge. However, each of these fields sets its own goals, uses different formats and has a different scope and impact. The conference 'Opportunities and Limitations of Participation in Academia' held in September 2022 as part of the German Science Year 'Participate!' aimed to connect the various participation communities in Germany and to explore commonalities and success factors. Through intensive discussions in four working groups, a keynote speech and a panel discussion, the conference initiated an exchange of ideas and experiences amongst researchers in a converging field. This report is a summary of the key questions and outcomes of the conference.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/arphapreprints.e102613

Authors: Slavena Peneva, Kristina Hristova, Anna Sapundzhieva, Boris Barov, Pavel Stoev, Margarita Grudova, Iva Kostadinova

Abstract: This document presents BiCIKL’s recognizable visual identity, including the project logo, visual identity guide, brochure, poster, document, presentation templates and website design and functionality developed in the first three months. These materials will ensure that BiCIKL is communicated effectively and professionally with the aim to raise awareness and build a community from the start of the project.The modern and user-friendly public website (bicikl-project.eu) provides an easy-to-navigate, continuously updated platform allowing fast access to general information about BiCIKL and its activities, operating on several levels. It also prominently features the participating project partners and Research Infrastructures and their extensive service portfolio.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/arphapreprints.e102612

Authors: Lyubomir Penev, Mariya Dimitrova, Georgi Zhelezov, Teodor Georgiev

Abstract: To the best of our knowledge, OpenBiodiv is the first production-stage  semantic  system running on top  of  a  reasonably-sized biodiversity knowledge graph. It stores biodiversity data in  a semantic interlinked format and offers facilities for working with it (Senderov et Penev 2016, Senderov et al.   2018, Penev et al. 2019, Dimitrova et al. 2021). It is a dynamic system that continuously updates its database as new biodiversity information becomes available by several international biodiversity publishers. It also allows its users to ask complex queries via SPARQL (a query language for semantic graph databases) and a simplified semantic search interface.OpenBiodiv was created during two EU-funded Marie Sklodowska-Curie PhD projects: BIG4 (Grant Agreement No 642241) and IGNITE (Grant Agreement No 764840). During those projects, the backend Ontology-0, the first versions of RDF converters and the basic website functionalities have been created (see Dimitrova et al. 2021 for overview).After the start of the BiCIKL project, the entire workflow for processing and RDF conversion of full-text articles in XML and Plazi’s treatments in XML has been re-built using up-to-date technological solutions (such as Apache Kaka  and  Elasticsearch)  to  fully  automatise  and speed up the conversion process and to make it trackable and efficient. As a result, the entire graph content has been re-processed and indexed. New user applications described  in Milestone MS27 App specifications have been discussed and implemented.The present deliverable describes the newly built workflow and tools for data extraction, conversion and indexing and the user applications, created in the BiCIKL project.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/arphapreprints.e102609

Authors: Lyubomir Penev, Teodor Georgiev, Boris Barov, Pavel Stoev, Kristina Hristova

Abstract: The  main goal of the BiCIKL project is to improve, for the first time, seamless access, linking and usage tracking of data within a network of Research Infrastructures managing different data classes (literature, specimens, samples, occurrences, sequences, taxon names and Operational Taxonomic Units (OTU)), ultimately represented also in a biodiversity knowledge graph. To achieve this, the consortium members will operate with huge amount of data during and after the end of the project.As a Horizon 2020 project, BiCIKL conforms to the Open Research Data Pilot (ORDP)1 and   Article 29.3 of the H2020 Model Grant Agreement by default, hence the consortium aims to improve and maximise access, sharing, linking and reuse of FAIR Open Research Data (ORD), generated or managed by the project. A detailed Data Management Plan is a critical part of   the ORDP. The DMP described in the present document is developed in BiCIKL within the first  six months of the project and it will evolve as a “living document” during the lifetime of the project and beyond in order to present the status of the project's reflections on data management.The BiCIKL DMP outlines the handling of research data and provides the basis of the project consortium’s data management life cycle for the data collected, generated and processed by the participants in the project. The DMP also covers the methodologies and standards previously developed for data sharing and open access, curation  and  preservation.  The subject of the DMP is the management of research data. Personal data management  is covered by deliverable D9.1 Protection of Personal Data.The BiCIKL DMP was developed in close collaboration with all project partners and involved Research Infrastructures (RI) who provided information on their data management practices and policies in a questionnaire and planned generation, collection, and processing of data for the purposes of building a resilient data management strategy of the project which meets all criteria for open research.This DMP aims to adhere to the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data management criteria of Horizon 20202.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.9.e96476

Authors: Étienne Serbe-Kamp, Jens Bemme, Daniel Pollak, Katja Mayer

Abstract: Citizen Science or community science has been around for a long time. The scope of community involvement in Citizen Science initiatives ranges from short-term data collection to intensive engagement to delve into a research topic together with scientists and/or other volunteers. Although many volunteer researchers have academic training, it is not a prerequisite for participation in research projects. It is important to adhere to scientific standards, which include, above all, transparency with regard to the methodology of data collection and public discussion of the results, and open educational resources (OER). Hereby, Citizen Science is closely linked to Open Science. In our contribution, we will introduce two projects, both developed within the Wikimedia Fellowship Freies Wissen.The top-down approach: ERGo! An Entomology Research Tool to raise awareness of biodiversity protection.Inclusion in academia and pressing social problems such as climate change are fundamentally social justice issues. To facilitate early participation in the scientific process on the part of people holding underrepresented identities in science, we develop a Citizen Science initiative based on a low-cost open-source platform (ERGo!) to perform a technique for electrical recordings from insect eyes known as electroretinograms (ERGs) while presenting visual stimuli. Pasadena Unified School District High School students pilot ERG experiments to test the feasibility of this technique as a large-scale Citizen Science initiative. With ERGo!, future Citizen Scientists contribute data to cutting-edge research that monitors insect biodiversity, adaptation, and health in rapidly changing environments caused by monocultures, pesticides, and climate change.The bottom-up approach: Open cultural data collection. A Citizen Science initiative for regional knowledge curation.We catalogued the 18th century German magazine ‘Die Gartenlaube’ (in Wikisource) with bibliographic metadata in Wikidata in a project called ‘Die Datenlaube’. We develop collaborative approaches for linked open data methods to produce data sets about historical knowledge. The concept of ‘Open Citizen Science’ offers a methodological baseline for Open Science practises in fields of digital humanities. Scanned documents and structured open metadata revealed open access to historic collections. Through the Wikimedia platforms 'Die Datenlaube' creates possibilities to edit entries, to design own investigations, and to contribute to OER.Based on the elaboration of the two rather different projects (natural and social sciences, involvement of pupils vs citizens, top-down vs bottom-up), we will discuss similarities and hence the challenges and lessons learned for using and developing Open Science elements in Citizen Science and mutual learning. Furthermore, we will conclude by focusing on the opportunities resulting from the integration of societal expectations in science and vice versa.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.9.e85860

Authors: Felicitas Kruschick, Kerstin Schoch

Abstract: Knowledge equity is a broad concept. Although it is linked to the goals of Open Science, it is rarely discussed in the scientific community. The term refers to a variety of aspects such as epistemology, research methods, data analysis, inclusive education, equal representation, participation, and science communication. It is reflected on individual, institutional, and structural levels.In this article, we attempt to outline the field theoretically against the background of a power-theoretical perspective and discuss what knowledge is in the first place. In a second step, we explore the question of what is hidden behind the terms equality and equity and to what extent these concepts can be linked to the underlying concept of knowledge. When can we speak of equity, why, and to what extent? Finally, the article links the overall social development of increasing sensitivity to diversity, which is discussed in conjunction with inclusive education and inclusion in general. Herein we refer to concepts of intersectional feminist research, the principles of Open Science, and a critical perspective on the concept of diversity.For illustration, exemplary projects associated with the Open Science Fellow Program, which address the issue of marginalized groups in the research process, are described. Among others, these relate to the following focal points: Data collection of non-binary gender, awareness of adultism, collaborative interpretation with interviewees, queer narratives, diversity in editorial boards, research in the context of North-South relations, participatory science communication using art, and exclusion factors of science communication.The overarching question we ask in this article is the extent to which knowledge equity is relevant to marginalized groups and exclusive dynamics in terms of an inclusive rationale and how those dynamics can be identified by using critical perspectives and self-reflexive considerations.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.8.e94685

Authors: Shweata Hegde, Ayush Garg, Peter Murray-Rust, Daniel Mietchen

Abstract: Ethical aspects of research continue to gain attention, be that in the process of proposing and planning research or performing, documenting or publishing it. One of the ways in which this trend manifests itself is the increasingly common addition of ethics statements to publications in fields like biomedicine, psychology or ethnography. Such ethics statements in publications provide the reader with a window into some of the practical yet typically hidden aspects of research ethics. As more and more publications are becoming available in full text and in machine readable formats through repositories like Europe PubMed Central, we propose to mine the literature for ethics statements and to extract information about the various aspects of research ethics that they address. The more standardized these statements are, the better the mined materials can be converted into structured and queryable information that can in turn be used to inform efforts towards higher levels of standardization in research ethics. This paper sketches out the motivation for such mining and outlines some methodological approaches that could be leveraged towards this end.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.8.e95953

Authors: Ronit Purian, Natan Katz, Batya Feldman

Abstract: In this paper we aim to provide an implementation of the FAIR Data Points (FDP) spec, that will apply our bias detection algorithm and automatically calculate a FAIRness score (FNS). FAIR metrics would be themselves represented as FDOs, and could be presented via a visual dashboard, and be machine accessible (Mons 2020, Wilkinson et al. 2016). This will enable dataset owners to monitor the level of FAIRness of their data. This is a step forward in making data FAIR, i.e., Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable; or simply, Fully AI Ready data.First we may discuss the context of this topic with respect to Deep Learning (DL) problems. Why are Bayesian Networks (BN, explained below) beneficial for such issues?Explainability – Obtaining a directed acyclic graph (DAG) from a BN training provides coherent information about independence variables in the data base. In a generic DL problem, features are functions of these variables. Thus, one can derive which variables are dominant in our system. When customers or business units are interested in the cause of a neural net outcome, this DAG structure can be both a source to provide importance and clarify the model.Dimension Reduction — BN provides the joint distribution of our variables and their associations. The latter may play a role in reducing the features that we induce to the DL engine: If we know that for random variables X,Y the conditional entropy of X in Y are low, we may omit X since Y provides its nearly entire information. We have, therefore, a tool that can statistically exclude redundant variablesTagging Behavior – This section can be less evident for those who work in domains such as vision or voice. In some frameworks, labeling can be an obscure task (to illustrate, consider a sentiment problem with many categories that may overlap). When we tag the data, we may rely on some features within the datasets and generate conditional probability. Training BN, when we initialize an empty DAG, may provide outcomes in which the target is a parent of other nodes. Observing several tested examples, these outcomes reflect these “taggers’ manners”. We can therefore use DAGs not merely for the purpose of model development in machine learning but mainly learning taggers policy and improve it if needed.The conjunction of DL and Casual inference — Causal Inference is a highly developed domain in data analytics. It offers tools to resolve questions that on the one hand, DL models commonly do not and, on the other hand, the real-world raises. There is a need to find a framework in which these tools will work in conjunction. Indeed, such frameworks already exist (e.g., GNN). But a mechanism that merges typical DL problems causality is less common. We believe that the flow, as described in this paper, is a good step in the direction of achieving benefits from this conjunction.Fairness and Bias – Bayesian networks, in their essence, are not a tool for bias detection but they reveal which of the columns (or which of the data items) is dominant and modify other variables. When we discuss noise and bias, we address these faults to the column and not to the model or to the entire data base. However, assume we have a set of tools to measure bias (Purian et al. 2022). Bayesian networks can provide information about the prominence of these columns (as they are “cause” or “effect” in the data), thus allow us to assess the overall bias in the database.What are Bayesian Networks?The motivation for using Bayesian Networks (BN) is to learn the dependencies within a set of random variables. The networks themselves are directed acyclic graphs (DAG), which mimic the joint distribution of the random variables (e.g., Perrier et al. (2008)). The graph structure follows the probabilistic dependencies factorization of the joint distribution: a node V depends only on its parents (a r.v X independent of the other nodes will be presented as a parent free node).Real-World ExampleIn this paper we present a way of using the DL engine tabular data, with the python package bnlearn. Since this project is commercial, the variable names were masked; thus, they will have meaningless names.Constructing Our DAGWe begin by finding our optimal DAG.import bnlearn as bnDAG = bn.structure_learning.fit(dataframe) We now have a DAG. It has a set of nodes and an adjacency matrix that can be found as follow:print(DAG['adjmat']) The outcome has this form Fig. 1a.Where rows are sources (namely the direction of the arc is from the left column to the elements in the row) and columns are targets (i.e., the header of the column receives the arcs). When we begin drawing the obtained DAG, we get for one set of variables the following image: Fig. 1b.We can see that the target node in the rectangle is a source for many nodes. We can see that it still points arrows itself to two nodes. We will discuss this in the discussion (i.e., Rauber 2021). We have more variables, therefore I increased the number of nodes. Adding the information provided a new source for the target (i.e., its entire row is “False”). The obtained graph is the following: Fig. 1c.So, we know how to construct a DAG. Now we need to train its parameters. Code-wise we perform this as follows:model_mle = bn.parameter_learning.fit(DAG, dataframe, methodtype='maximumlikelihood')We can change ‘maximulikelihood’ with ‘bayes’ as described beyond. The outcome of this training is a set of factorized conditional distributions that reflect the DAG’s structure. It has this form for a given variable: Fig. 1d. The code to create DAG presentation is provided in Fig. 2. DiscussionIn this paper we have presented some of the theoretical concepts of Bayesian Networks and the usage they provide in constructing an approximated DAG for a set of variables. In addition, we presented a real-world example of end to end DAG learning: Constructing it using BN, training its parameters using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) methods, and performing and inference.FAIR metrics, represented as FDOs, can also be visualised and monitored, taking care of data FAIRness.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.8.e81568

Authors: Pia Hollenbach, Monika Goetzoe, Malith de Silva

Abstract: The SARS-COV-2 pandemic created a serious shock and surprise to the disaster governance mechanisms in existence. Even the most advanced disaster governance systems in the world struggled to govern, respond, communicate risk and build resilience against the pandemic. The overall management – locally and globally- showed that relevant stakeholders such as social workers that work frontline but also within disaster management relevant fields, were not heart nor taken their potentials and knowledge into consideration to sustainably set up a disaster management and responds strategy. Applying a comparative multi-sited ethnographic approach, the study aims to highlight the potential agency of social work as a bridging agent to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of existing disaster governance and communication architecture and improve the resilience of communities to cope with the socio-ecological complexity of future disasters, similar to SARS-COV-2. Impact will be created in four main areas: (1) Actors in disaster governance will be educated using the new knowledge produced on contextualized disaster governance and communication strategies and impacts on community resilience; (2) Enhanced capacity and awareness of professional social work practitioners on their role/s as bridging agents within the disaster governance architecture to enhance disaster risk communication and community resilience; (3) Improved capacity for decision and policy-making and strengthened agency of social work in the field of disaster governance through the introduction of professional development training and the ToolKit SW2BRIDGE; and (4) Improved social work education at the university level through the introduction of a post-graduate programme on the application of social work in disasters.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.8.e89446

Authors: Ulrike Sturm, Elisabeth Heyne, Elisa Herrmann, Bergit Arends, Anna-Lisa Dieter, Eric Dorfman, Frank Drauschke, Nicole Heller, Rebecca Kahn, Katja Kaiser, Gerda Koch, Nicolas Kramar, Alicia Mansilla Sánchez, Franz Mauelshagen, Tahani Nadim, Richard Pell, Mareike Petersen, Katharina Schmidt-Loske, Henning Scholz, Colin Sterling, Helmuth Trischler, Sarah Wagner

Abstract: The knowledge needed to tackle future environmental and societal challenges can only be generated through exchange between science and society. The conventional distinction made between natural and cultural heritage in museums and other institutions is no longer appropriate in the Anthropocene. Museums must rethink the social and cultural dimensions of existing museum collections and reinvent the organization of knowledge production for our present. In three workshops at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, practitioners and interdisciplinary theorists discussed the concept of “Anthropocenic objects” and considered how they create opportunities for the emergence of new collecting practices involving participatory research and open exchange between research, society, and conservation institutions.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.8.e85859

Authors: Alexander Weigand, Szilárd-Lehel Bücs, Stanimira Deleva, Lada Lukić Bilela, Pierrette Nyssen, Kaloust Paragamian, Axel Ssymank, Hannah Weigand, Valerija Zakšek, Maja Zagmajster, Gergely Balázs, Shalva Barjadze, Katharina Bürger, William Burn, Didier Cailhol, Amélie Decrolière, Ferdinando Didonna, Azdren Doli, Tvrtko Drazina, Joerg Dreybrodt, Lana Ðud, Csaba Egri, Markus Erhard, Sašo Finžgar, Dominik Fröhlich, Grant Gartrell, Suren Gazaryan, Michel Georges, Jean-Francois Godeau, Ralf Grunewald, John Gunn, Jeff Hajenga, Peter Hofmann, Lee Knight, Hannes Köble, Nikolina Kuharic, Christian Lüthi, Cristian Munteanu, Rudjer Novak, Dainis Ozols, Matija Petkovic, Fabio Stoch, Bärbel Vogel, Ines Vukovic, Meredith Hall Weberg, Christian Zaenker, Stefan Zaenker, Ute Feit, Jean-Claude Thies

Abstract: This manuscript summarizes the outcomes of the 6th EuroSpeleo Protection Symposium. Special emphasis was laid on presenting and discussing monitoring activities under the umbrella of the Habitats Directive (EU Council Directive 92/43/EEC) for habitat type 8310 "Caves not open to the public" and the Emerald Network. The discussions revealed a high level of variation in the currently conducted underground monitoring activities: there is no uniform definition of what kind of underground environments the "cave" habitat should cover, how often a specific cave has to be monitored, and what parameters should be measured to evaluate the conservation status. The variation in spatial dimensions in national definitions of caves further affects the number of catalogued caves in a country and the number of caves to be monitored. Not always participants are aware of the complete national monitoring process and that data sets should be freely available or easily accessible. The discussions further showed an inherent dilemma between an anticipated uniform monitoring approach with a coherent assessment methodology and, on the contrary, the uniqueness of caves and subterranean biota to be assessed – combined with profound knowledge gaps and a lack of resources. Nevertheless, some good practices for future cave monitoring activities have been identified by the participants: (1) Cave monitoring should focus on bio- and geodiversity elements alike; (2) Local communities should be involved, and formal agreements envisaged; (3) Caves must be understood as windows into the subterranean realm; (4) Touristic caves should not be excluded ad-hoc from regular monitoring; (5) New digital tools and open FAIR data infrastructures should be implemented; (6) Cave biomonitoring should focus on a large(r) biological diversity; and (7) DNA-based tools should be integrated. Finally, the importance of the 'forgotten' Recommendation No. 36 from the Bern Convention as a guiding legal European document was highlighted.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.7.e79061

Authors: Gregor Hagedorn, Kirsten von Elverfeldt

Abstract: English: Documentation of a communication project by German-speaking scientists encouraging their peers to participate in the September 2021 climate demonstrations by means of short statements or appeals (German, with English and French translations).Deutsch: Dokumentation eines Kommunikationsprojekts deutschsprachiger Wissenschaftler:innen, ihre Kolleg:innen mit kurzen Statements oder Aufrufen zur Teilnahme an den Klimademonstrationen im September 2021 zu ermuntern (deutsch, mit englischer und französischer Übersetzung).Français: Documentation d'un projet de communication de scientifiques germanophones visant à encourager leurs collègues à participer aux manifestations pour le climat en septembre 2021 par de courtes déclarations ou des appels (en allemand, avec traduction en anglais et en français).

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.7.e77666

Authors: Judita Tomaskinova, Davide Geneletti, Lynn Dicks, Miriam Grace, Marcus Collier, Davide Longato, Pavel Stoev, Anna Sapundzhieva, Mario Balzan

Abstract: This article presents teaching and learning material from three strategically designed ReNature Horizon 2020 project training activities. A total of twelve presentations covering different aspects of NbS implementation are presented with this article. Additionally, this article also includes materials produced by learners, throughout their work within self-organised groups carried out during the Second ReNature Training School. This is the second article publishing teaching and learning material arising from the ReNature project.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.7.e71553

Authors: M.V. Eitzel

Abstract: In the face of the "crisis of reproducibility" and the rise of "big data" with its associated issues, modeling needs to be practiced more critically and less automatically. Many modelers are discussing better modeling practices, but to address questions about the transparency, equity, and relevance of modeling, we also need the theoretical grounding of social science and the tools of critical theory. I have therefore synthesized recent work by modelers on better practices for modeling with social science literature (especially feminist science and technology studies) to offer a "modeler’s manifesto": a set of applied practices and framings for critical modeling approaches. Broadly, these practices involve 1) giving greater context to scientific modeling through extended methods sections, appendices, and companion articles, clarifying quantitative and qualitative reasoning and process; 2) greater collaboration in scientific modeling via triangulation with different data sources, gaining feedback from interdisciplinary teams, and viewing uncertainty as openness and invitation for dialogue; and 3) directly engaging with justice and ethics by watching for and mitigating unequal power dynamics in projects, facing the impacts and implications of the work throughout the process rather than only afterwards, and seeking opportunities to collaborate directly with people impacted by the modeling.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.7.e70042

Authors: Lane Rasberry, Daniel Mietchen

Abstract: We present the design of a project to develop Wikipedia content on general vaccine safety and the COVID-19 vaccines, specifically. This proposal describes what a team would need to distribute public health information in Wikipedia in multiple languages in response to a disaster or crisis, and to measure and report the communication impact of the same. Researchers at the School of Data Science at the University of Virginia made this proposal in response to a February 2021 call from a sponsor which was seeking to share public health information to respond globally to vaccine hesitancy related to the COVID-19 vaccines. This proposal was not selected for funding, and now the research team is sharing the proposal here with an open copyright license for anyone to reuse and remix. Most of the text here is from the original proposal, but there are modifications to remove the names of the funder, named partners, and for other details to make this text more reusable. The budget in this proposal has been converted from a dollar amount to equivalent descriptions in terms of labor hours, and the timeline was adapted from absolute to relative months.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.7.e68121

Authors: Daniel Mietchen, Lane Rasberry, Thais Morata, John Sadowski, Jeanette Novakovich, James Heilman

Abstract: In this era of information overload and misinformation, it is a challenge to rapidly translate evidence-based health information to the public. Wikipedia is a prominent global source of health information with high traffic, multilingual coverage, and acceptable quality control practices. Viewership data following the Ebola crisis and during the COVID-19 pandemic reveals that a significant number of web users located health guidance through Wikipedia and related projects, including its media repository Wikimedia Commons and structured data complement, Wikidata.The basic idea discussed in this paper is to increase and expedite health institutions' global reach to the general public, by developing a specific strategy to maximize the availability of focused content into Wikimedia’s public digital knowledge archives. It was conceptualized from the experiences of leading health organizations such as Cochrane, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other United Nations Organizations, Cancer Research UK, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Each has customized strategies to integrate content in Wikipedia and evaluate responses.We propose the development of an interactive guide on the Wikipedia and Wikidata platforms to support health agencies, health professionals and communicators in quickly distributing key messages during crisis situations. The guide aims to cover basic features of Wikipedia, including adding key health messages to Wikipedia articles, citing expert sources to facilitate fact-checking, staging text for translation into multiple languages; automating metrics reporting; sharing non-text media; anticipating offline reuse of Wikipedia content in apps or virtual assistants; structuring data for querying and reuse through Wikidata, and profiling other flagship projects from major health organizations.In the first phase, we propose the development of a curriculum for the guide using information from prior case studies. In the second phase, the guide would be tested on select health-related topics as new case studies. In its third phase, the guide would be finalized and disseminated.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.7.e68595

Authors: Daniel Mietchen, Lyubomir Penev, Teodor Georgiev, Boriana Ovcharova, Iva Kostadinova

Abstract: Since Research Ideas and Outcomes was launched in late 2015, it has stimulated experimentation around the publication of and engagement with research processes, especially those with a strong open science component. Here, we zoom in on the first 300 RIO articles that have been published and elucidate how they relate to the different stages and variants of the research cycle, how they help address societal challenges and what forms of engagement have evolved around these resources, most of which have a nature and scope that would prevent them from entering the scholarly record via more traditional journals. Building on these observations, we describe some changes we recently introduced in the policies and peer review process at RIO to further facilitate engagement with the research process, including the establishment of an article collections feature that allows us to bring together research ideas and outcomes from within one research cycle or across multiple ones, irrespective of where they have been published.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.7.e66264

Authors: Christian Hauschke, Daniel Nüst, Anette Cordts, Svantje Lilienthal

Abstract: The BMBF project OPTIMETA aims to strengthen the Open Access publishing system by connecting open citations and spatiotemporal metadata from open access journals with openly accessible data sources. For this purpose, we will extend Open Journal Systems (OJS) to give it functionalities for collecting and distributing open data by developing two OJS plugins for capturing citation networks and articles' spatial and temporal properties as machine-readable and accessible metadata. We will ensure the target group-orientated design of the plugins by performing a comprehensive needs analysis for key stakeholders: the editors or operators of OA journals and the researchers, as authors and readers of articles. The developments will be designed and tested in cooperation with several independent journals and OA publishers. Overall, OPTIMETA supports the attraction of independent OA journals as publication venues by substantially improving the discoverability and visibility of OA publications through enrichment and interlinking of article metadata.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.6.e58167

Authors: Marko-Tapio Hyvärinen, Risto Väinölä, Henry Väre, Gunilla Ståhls-Mäkelä, Pasi Sihvonen, Anniina Kuusijärvi, Leena Myllys, Björn Kröger, Mikko Heikkinen, Aino Juslén, Markku Oinonen, Leif Schulman

Abstract: As part of its quality management and goal-driven strategic development, the Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus drafts policy documents to guide its operational sectors. The purpose of such policies is to define the content and procedures of the Museum’s activities. They answer the questions “what”, “why”, “who” and “for whom” about the activities they discuss, which is to say that they define and delimit the scope of the operational sector, provide the operations with a purpose and determine their content, describe the allocation of responsibilities in the sector under the Luomus organisation and identify the target groups. The policies provide general objectives and thus form the basis for target programmes and any action plans which in turn answer the question “How can we reach the designated goals?”. Policies are not tied to a schedule, unlike target programmes, even though they must be dynamic and updated periodically to better serve the organisation. The core activities at Luomus are: (1) maintenance of the scientific collections, (2) research and (3) expert services. The General Collections Policy sets guidelines for the maintenance of the scientific collections based on the mission of the University of Helsinki and Luomus.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.6.e54106

Authors: Sheeba Samuel, Maha Shadaydeh, Sebastian Böcker, Bernd Brügmann, Solveig Franziska Bucher, Volker Deckert, Joachim Denzler, Peter Dittrich, Ferdinand von Eggeling, Daniel Güllmar, Orlando Guntinas-Lichius, Birgitta König-Ries, Frank Löffler, Lutz Maicher, Manja Marz, Mirco Migliavacca, Jürgen R. Reichenbach, Markus Reichstein, Christine Römermann, Andrea Wittig

Abstract: Data is central in almost all scientific disciplines nowadays. Furthermore, intelligent systems have developed rapidly in recent years, so that in many disciplines the expectation is emerging that with the help of intelligent systems, significant challenges can be overcome and science can be done in completely new ways. In order for this to succeed, however, first, fundamental research in computer science is still required, and, second, generic tools must be developed on which specialized solutions can be built. In this paper, we introduce a recently started collaborative project funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, a virtual manufactory for digitization in the sciences, the “Werkstatt”, which is being established at the Michael Stifel Center Jena (MSCJ) for data-driven and simulation science to address fundamental questions in computer science and applications. The Werkstatt focuses on three key areas, which include generic tools for machine learning, knowledge generation using machine learning processes, and semantic methods for the data life cycle, as well as the application of these topics in different disciplines. Core and pilot projects address the key aspects of the topics and form the basis for sustainable work in the Werkstatt.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.6.e53608

Authors: Brady Mattsson, Werner Toth, Marianne Penker, Pia Kieninger, Harald Vacik

Abstract: Coupled human and natural systems exhibit complex interactions (e.g. feedback-loops) that are often poorly understood. Decision-makers from regional (e.g., state or provincial) scale environmental stewardship programs to international policy makers are often faced with uncertainties about future climatic and sociopolitical conditions (henceforth, system change) when supporting livelihoods and ecosystem services derived from lands and waters they oversee. Understanding how these system changes interact with adaptive decision-making processes toward stewardship of ecosystem services represents a considerable gap in knowledge. Adaptation, or iterative adjustment of management practices in response to or anticipation of system change, has been forwarded as a means of effective ecosystem stewardship. Furthermore, lack of clarity about value tradeoffs among competing program objectives (e.g., economics and aesthetics) often precludes development and implementation of adaptation. Although there have been several qualitative studies on regional to national adaptation, lacking is an empirical understanding of how the drivers and value tradeoffs associated with adaptation differ among regions and between related sectors spanning multiple countries. Diverse cultural heritages and political structures among regions of central Europe offer great opportunities for examining spatial patterns of limitations to regional-scale adaptation in forest and agricultural sectors. This project will develop a quantitative index of adaptation for examining hypotheses about patterns of rural adaptation within regions of nine countries in central Europe. Alternative hypotheses describe contrasting assumptions regarding geographic variation in the relative importance among drivers and objectives associated with adaptation. Predictions derived from these hypotheses will be examined through a survey instrument that gathers information from programs focused on rural stewardship. Survey data will be analyzed using a hierarchical Bayesian approach that accounts for biases and missing information often resulting from surveys. Interviews will be used to validate survey responses and receive feedback on inferences made from the analysis of the survey data. Placing findings within the context of existing adaptation literature and evaluating subtler patterns that emerge from the survey data will generate new hypotheses to be examined through future research. The research will be conducted at University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna. The applicant Harald Vacik from the Institute of Silviculture at the Department of Forest and Soil Sciences has proven his expertise on the evaluation of natural resource management in the context of sustainability, biodiversity and climate change. The post docs Brady Mattsson, Pia Kieninger and the PhD student Werner Toth contribute with their experience in developing climate adaptation decision support systems and providing uncertainty analysis in environmental decision-making. The proposed study will be an important step in advancing knowledge about adaptation and the interplay between humans and nature in maintaining a sustainable supply of ecosystem goods and services. This novel research integrates multiple scientific disciplines (e.g., ecology, sociology, decision theory, statistics) and to generate an integrated index of adaptation.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.6.e50675

Authors: Thomas Borsch, Albert-Dieter Stevens, Eva Häffner, Anton Güntsch, Walter G. Berendsohn, Marc Appelhans, Christina Barilaro, Bánk Beszteri, Frank Blattner, Oliver Bossdorf, Helmut Dalitz, Stefan Dressler, Rhinaixa Duque-Thüs, Hans-Joachim Esser, Andreas Franzke, Dethardt Goetze, Michaela Grein, Uta Grünert, Frank Hellwig, Jörn Hentschel, Elvira Hörandl, Thomas Janßen, Norbert Jürgens, Gudrun Kadereit, Timm Karisch, Marcus Koch, Frank Müller, Jochen Müller, Dietrich Ober, Stefan Porembski, Peter Poschlod, Christian Printzen, Martin Röser, Peter Sack, Philipp Schlüter, Marco Schmidt, Martin Schnittler, Markus Scholler, Matthias Schultz, Elke Seeber, Josef Simmel, Michael Stiller, Mike Thiv, Holger Thüs, Natalia Tkach, Dagmar Triebel, Ursula Warnke, Tanja Weibulat, Karsten Wesche, Andrey Yurkov, Georg Zizka

Abstract: Plants, fungi and algae are important components of global biodiversity and are fundamental to all ecosystems. They are the basis for human well-being, providing food, materials and medicines. Specimens of all three groups of organisms are accommodated in herbaria, where they are commonly referred to as botanical specimens.The large number of specimens in herbaria provides an ample, permanent and continuously improving knowledge base on these organisms and an indispensable source for the analysis of the distribution of species in space and time critical for current and future research relating to global biodiversity. In order to make full use of this resource, a research infrastructure has to be built that grants comprehensive and free access to the information in herbaria and botanical collections in general. This can be achieved through digitization of the botanical objects and associated data.The botanical research community can count on a long-standing tradition of collaboration among institutions and individuals. It agreed on data standards and standard services even before the advent of computerization and information networking, an example being the Index Herbariorum as a global registry of herbaria helping towards the unique identification of specimens cited in the literature.In the spirit of this collaborative history, 51 representatives from 30 institutions advocate to start the digitization of botanical collections with the overall wall-to-wall digitization of the flat objects stored in German herbaria. Germany has 70 herbaria holding almost 23 million specimens according to a national survey carried out in 2019. 87% of these specimens are not yet digitized. Experiences from other countries like France, the Netherlands, Finland, the US and Australia show that herbaria can be comprehensively and cost-efficiently digitized in a relatively short time due to established workflows and protocols for the high-throughput digitization of flat objects.Most of the herbaria are part of a university (34), fewer belong to municipal museums (10) or state museums (8), six herbaria belong to institutions also supported by federal funds such as Leibniz institutes, and four belong to non-governmental organizations. A common data infrastructure must therefore integrate different kinds of institutions.Making full use of the data gained by digitization requires the set-up of a digital infrastructure for storage, archiving, content indexing and networking as well as standardized access for the scientific use of digital objects. A standards-based portfolio of technical components has already been developed and successfully tested by the Biodiversity Informatics Community over the last two decades, comprising among others access protocols, collection databases, portals, tools for semantic enrichment and annotation, international networking, storage and archiving in accordance with international standards. This was achieved through the funding by national and international programs and initiatives, which also paved the road for the German contribution to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).Herbaria constitute a large part of the German botanical collections that also comprise living collections in botanical gardens and seed banks, DNA- and tissue samples, specimens preserved in fluids or on microscope slides and more. Once the herbaria are digitized, these resources can be integrated, adding to the value of the overall research infrastructure. The community has agreed on tasks that are shared between the herbaria, as the German GBIF model already successfully demonstrates.We have compiled nine scientific use cases of immediate societal relevance for an integrated infrastructure of botanical collections. They address accelerated biodiversity discovery and research, biomonitoring and conservation planning, biodiversity modelling, the generation of trait information, automated image recognition by artificial intelligence, automated pathogen detection, contextualization by interlinking objects, enabling provenance research, as well as education, outreach and citizen science.We propose to start this initiative now in order to valorize German botanical collections as a vital part of a worldwide biodiversity data pool.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.6.e50354

Authors: Helen Hardy, Sandra Knapp, E. Louise Allan, Frederik Berger, Katherine Dixey, Bernadette Döme, Pierre-Yves Gagnier, Jiri Frank, Elspeth Haston, Joachim Holstein, Steffen Kiel, Maria Marschler, Patricia Mergen, Sarah Phillips, Rivka Rabinovich, Begoña Sanchez Chillón, Martin Sorensen, Marco Thines, Maarten Trekels, Robert Vogt, Scott Wilson, Karin Wiltschke-Schrotta

Abstract: The SYNTHESYS consortium has been operational since 2004, and has facilitated physical access by individual researchers to European natural history collections through its Transnational Access programme (TA). For the first time, SYNTHESYS+ will be offering virtual access to collections through digitisation, with two calls for the programme, the first in 2020 and the second in 2021. The Virtual Access (VA) programme is not a direct digital parallel of Transnational Access - proposals for collections digitisation will be prioritised and carried out based on community demand, and data must be made openly available immediately. A key feature of Virtual Access is that, unlike TA, it does not select the researchers to whom access is provided. Because Virtual Access in this way is new to the community and to the collections-holding institutions, the SYNTHESYS+ consortium invited ideas through an Ideas Call, that opened on 7th October 2019 and closed on 22nd November 2019, in order to assess interest and to trial procedures. This report is intended to provide feedback to those who participated in the Ideas Call and to help all applicants to the first SYNTHESYS+Virtual Access Call that will be launched on 20th of February 2020.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.5.e47232

Authors: Dasapta Irawan, Andri Kesmawan, Mochammad Multazam, Eric Kunto

Abstract: An online ride-hailing app is a must-have app on your mobile devices, because it's features have been extended to meet almost modern urban needs. What if we could adopt the same features and functionalities for the academic publishing ecosystem. We proudly introduce the conceptual of GO-PUB. GO-PUB is an online app that provides a spatial database of scholarly journal publishers in Indonesia and to connect it with potential authors. Potential authors could find the perfect journal near their locations, complete with supporting pieces of information about the journal publishing system. The concept of GO-PUB is open source and cross platforms, hosted in public repository to make sure everyone could share their knowledge and contribution to the project.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.5.e37478

Authors: Sven Schade, Wiebke Herding, Arne Fellermann, Alexander Kotsev, Michel Gerboles, Annette Borowiak

Abstract: Low-cost air quality sensors continue to spread. While their measurement quality does not compete with high-end instrumentation deployed in official air quality monitoring stations, they have a great potential to complement existing air quality assessments. However, we still see challenges related to data quality, data interoperability, and for collaborating on data assimilation and calibration. In order to move ahead we gathered as a group of 38 organisations from 14 different countries, including governmental authorities, network operators, citizen science initiatives, environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and academic researchers to explore how we can collaborate and better leverage each other’s work. This statement captures our joint findings and recommendations. Our key observations include: Co-operation between official monitoring networks (reference quality data) and lower-cost sensor operators is a key to make air quality data more usable. To be able to combine forces and benefit from each other’s expertise, the different perspectives of all stakeholders should be taken into account. There is a need to ensure that all users understand the possibilities and the limitations of making sense out of observations from different sensors. It is not realistic to expect that in the near future the data quality of lower-cost sensors will be as good as that of the official data. A way to make use of data that is of lower accuracy is by employing them in air quality modelling. Transparency about data quality is important to build more trust in the data, and to avoid unrealistic expectations. The need for interoperability should be clearly articulated and promoted by potential data users. There a need (and an opportunity) to provide guidance and standard operating procedures for the deployment and calibration of lower-cost sensors in order to increase the data quality delivered by participants of citizen science projects. Presently, we prefer to consider fixed-stationary sensors in a network instead of mobile sensor data. Furthermore, stationary data should not be aggregated with data from mobile sensors. Publishing and sharing this statement is only small step in the right direction and further actions have to be taken, inlcuding more in-depth discussions of the recommendations in smaller groups and follow-up meetings on dedicated topics.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.5.e34059

Authors: Sven Schade, Wiebke Herding, Arne Fellermann, Alexander Kotsev

Abstract: Low-cost air quality sensors continue to spread. While their measurement quality does not compete with high-end instrumentation deployed in official air quality monitoring stations, they have a great potential to complement existing air quality assessments. However, we still see challenges related to data quality, data interoperability, and for collaborating on data assimilation and calibration. In order to move ahead we gathered as a group of 38 organisations from 14 different countries, including governmental authorities, network operators, citizen science initiatives, environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and academic researchers to explore how we can collaborate and better leverage each other’s work. This statement captures our joint findings and recommendations. Our key observations include: Co-operation between official monitoring networks (reference quality data) and lower-cost sensor operators is a key to make air quality data more usable. To be able to combine forces and benefit from each other’s expertise, the different perspectives of all stakeholders should be taken into account. There is a need to ensure that all users understand the possibilities and the limitations of making sense out of observations from different sensors. It is not realistic to expect that in the near future the data quality of lower-cost sensors will be as good as that of the official data. A way to make use of data that is of lower accuracy is by employing them in air quality modelling. Transparency about data quality is important to build more trust in the data, and to avoid unrealistic expectations. The need for interoperability should be clearly articulated and promoted by potential data users. There a need (and an opportunity) to provide guidance and standard operating procedures for the deployment and calibration of lower-cost sensors in order to increase the data quality delivered by participants of citizen science projects. Presently, we prefer to consider fixed-stationary sensors in a network instead of mobile sensor data. Furthermore, stationary data should not be aggregated with data from mobile sensors. Publishing and sharing this statement is only small step in the right direction and further actions have to be taken, inlcuding more in-depth discussions of the recommendations in smaller groups and follow-up meetings on dedicated topics.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.5.e35913

Authors: Leo Lahti, Filipe da Silva, Markus Laine, Viivi Lähteenoja, Mikko Tolonen

Abstract: This paper gives the reader a chance to experience, or revisit, PHOS16: a conference on the History and Philosophy of Open Science. In the winter of 2016, we invited a varied international group to engage with these topics at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Our aim was to critically assess the defining features, underlying narratives, and overall objectives of the open science movement. The event brought together contemporary open science scholars, publishers, and advocates to discuss the philosophical foundations and historical roots of openness in academic research. The eight sessions combined historical views with more contemporary perspectives on topics such as transparency, reproducibility, collaboration, publishing, peer review, research ethics, as well as societal impact and engagement. We gathered together expert panellists and 15 invited speakers who have published extensively on these topics, allowing us to engage in a thorough and multifaceted discussion. Together with our involved audience we charted the role and foundations of openness of research in our time, considered the accumulation and dissemination of scientific knowledge, and debated the various technical, legal, and ethical challenges of the past and present. In this article, we provide an overview of the topics covered at the conference as well as individual video interviews with each speaker. In addition to this, all the talks, Q&A sessions, and interviews were recorded and they are offered here as an openly licensed community resource in both video and audio form.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.5.e33400

Authors: Mary Kelly-Quinn, Michael Bruen, Jens Carlsson, Angela Gurnell, Helen Jarvie, Jeremy Piggott

Abstract: This paper outlines the research being undertaken by the recently-initiated four-year (to March 2022) project on the small stream network in Ireland (SSNet) funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The overarching objective of SSNet is to advance knowledge on the role of small streams in water quality, biodiversity and ecosystem services protection that will inform policy, measures and management options to meet water quality and other resources protection targets. The project will start with a synthesis of available information on the importance of small streams to initiate communication with stakeholders and introduce the project. This will be followed by a compilation and analysis of existing data on small streams in Ireland to inform the selection of sites for the proposed research. Three work packages will collect new data on hydrochemistry with a focus on the nutrient retention potential of headwater streams, hydromorphology and biodiversity. All three investigations will share common sites to enable interconnections between the three elements to be explored and provide an integrated approach to the research. Modelling based on the results from each of the aforementioned tasks will be used to estimate the level of intervention in the small stream network required to have measurable effects throughout a catchment on both water quality (N, P & sediment) and flows, and overall delivery/maintenance of ecosystem services. We will also engage volunteers in both biological water quality and hydromorphological assessments and evaluate the potential of citizen science in facilitating greater monitoring coverage of the small stream network.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.4.e31430

Authors: René Véron, Nishara Fernando, N. C. Narayanan, Bishnu Upreti, Babu Ambat, Ranga Pallawala, Sudarshan Rajbhandari, Swetha Rao Dhananka, Christian Zurbrügg

Abstract: Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) has become one of the most pressing environmental issues in South Asian cities, the more so as it is closely linked to drinking water quality, sanitation and human health affecting mostly the urban poor, as well as to global climate change. Looking at recent governance initiatives in three South Asian cities developed in the wake of natural or human-induced crises, the project will focus on how to render MSWM improvements politically feasible and socially acceptable, which is a pre-requisites for functioning SWM systems, and thus for (environmental and social) sustainability more generally. The goal of this project, therefore, is to identify, analyze and promote the political and sociocultural processes that are necessary to enable the functioning of MSWM systems. In particular, alternative practices and systems are promoted, whereby institutional hierarchies are decentralized, favoring horizontal accountabilities and whereby waste chains are shortened and transformed into closed loops implying a more circular waste economy in which both environmental and local livelihood benefits would accrue. The project puts emphasis on mutual learning through horizontal South-South partnerships between local authorities, civil society actors and researchers across South Asia.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.4.e29773

Authors: Daisuke Tsugama

Abstract:

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.4.e23394

Authors: Ulrike Sturm, Sven Schade, Luigi Ceccaroni, Margaret Gold, Christopher Kyba, Bernat Claramunt, Muki Haklay, Dick Kasperowski, Alexandra Albert, Jaume Piera, Jonathan Brier, Christopher Kullenberg, Soledad Luna

Abstract: Apps for mobile devices and web-based platforms are increasingly used in citizen science projects. While extensive research has been done in multiple areas of studies, from Human-Computer Interaction to public engagement in science, we are not aware of a collection of recommendations specific for citizen science that provides support and advice for planning, design and data management of mobile apps and platforms that will assist learning from best practice and successful implementations. In two workshops, citizen science practitioners with experience in mobile application and web-platform development and implementation came together to analyse, discuss and define recommendations for the initiators of technology based citizen science projects. Many of the recommendations produced during the two workshops are applicable to citizen science project that do not use mobile devices to collect data. Therefore, we propose to closely connect the results presented here with ECSA’s Ten Principles of Citizen Science.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e21773

Authors: Cameron Neylon

Abstract: A pilot project worked with seven existing projects funded by the International Development Research Center of Canada (IDRC) to investigate the implementation of data management and sharing requirements within development research projects. The seven projects, which were selected to achieve a diversity of project types, locations, host institutions and subject areas, demonstrated a broad range of existing capacities to work with data and access to technical expertise and infrastructures. The pilot project provided an introduction to data management and sharing concepts, helped projects develop a Data Management Plan, and then observed the implementation of that plan. In examining the uptake of Data Management and Sharing practice amongst these seven groups the project came to question the underlying goals of funders in introducing data management and sharing requirements. It was established that the ultimate goal was a change in culture amongst grantees. The project therefore looked for evidence of how funder interventions might promote or hinder such cultural change. The project had two core findings. First that the shift from an aim of changing behaviour, to changing culture, has both subtle and profound implications for policy design and implementation. A particular finding is that the single point of contact that many data management and sharing policies create where a Data Management Plan is required at grant submission but then not further utilised is at best neutral and likely counter productive in supporting change in researcher culture. As expected, there are significant bottlenecks within research institutions and for grantees in effectively sharing data including a lack of resources and expertise. However, a core finding is that many of the bottlenecks for change relate to structural issues at the funder level. Specifically, the expectation that policy initiatives are implemented, monitored, and evaluated by Program Officers who are the main point of contact for projects. The single most productive act to enhance policy implementation may be to empower and support Program Officers. This could be achieved through training and support of individual POs, through the creation of a group of internal experts who can support others, or via provision of external support, for instance by expanding the services provided by the pilot project into an ongoing support mechanism for both internal staff and grantees. Other significant findings include: the importance of language barriers and the way in which assumptions of English language in materials, resources, services and systems permeate the entire system; that data infrastructures are poorly served by current funding arrangements and tools, particularly where they are obliged to seek continuing funding through project grants. There are also fundamental questions raised by the status of digital objects as "data". The concept of data is part of a western scientific discourse which may be both incompatible with other cultures, particularly indigenous knowledge systems. More importantly that discourse may be incompatible with values-based approaches that seek to respect indigenous knowledge through a commitment to retaining context. With the possible exception of the last finding, none of these issues are exclusive to development research. The Development Research context surfaces them more strongly through its greater diversity of goals and contexts. In many ways this project illustrates not that Development Research has particular special needs, but that it is a site that surfaces issues in policy design and implementation deserving of more consideration across the research enterprise.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e21705

Authors: Cameron Neylon

Abstract: There is a wide and growing interest in promoting Research Data Management (RDM) and Research Data Sharing (RDS) from many stakeholders in the research enterprise. Funders are under pressure from activists, from government, and from the wider public agenda towards greater transparency and access to encourage, require, and deliver improved data practices from the researchers they fund. Funders are responding to this, and to their own interest in improved practice, by developing and implementing policies on RDM and RDS. In this review we examine the state of funder policies, the process of implementation and available guidance to identify the challenges and opportunities for funders in developing policy and delivering on the aspirations for improved community practice, greater transparency and engagement, and enhanced impact. The review is divided into three parts. The first two components are based on desk research: a survey of existing policy statements drawing in part on existing surveys and a brief review of available guidance on policy development for funders. The third part addresses the experience of policy implementation through interviews with funders, policy developers, and infrastructure providers. In our review we identify, in common with other surveys, that RDM and RDS policies are increasingly common. The most developed are found amongst funders in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and European Union. However many other funders and nations have aspirational statements or are developing policy. There is a broad pattern of policy development moving from aspiration, to recommendations, to requirements, and finally reporting and auditing of data management practice. There are strong similarities across policies: a requirement for data management planning, often in grant submissions, expectations that data supporting published articles will be made available, and in many cases requirements for data archiving and availability over extended periods beyond grants. However there are also important differences in implementation. There is essentially no information available on the uptake and success of different policies in terms of compliance rates, or degrees of data availability. Many policies require a Data Management Plan as part of grant submission. This requirement can be enforced but there is disagreement on the value of this. One view is that requirements such as DMPs are the only way to force researchers to pay attention to these issues. The other is that such requirements lead to a culture of compliance in which the minimal effort is made and planning is seen as a “tick-box” exercise that has no further value. In this view requirements such as DMPs may actually be damaging the effort to effect culture change towards improved community practice. One way to bring these two views together is to see DMPs as living documents that form the basis of collaboration between researchers, funders, and data managers throughout the life of a research project. This approach is reflected in guidance on policy development that emphasises the importance of clarifying responsibilities of various stakeholders and ensuring that researchers are both recognised for good practice and see tangible benefits. More broadly this points to the need for the program of improving RDM and RDS to be shared project with the incentives for funders and researchers aligned as far as is possible. In the interviews successful policy implementation was often seen to be dependent on funders providing the required support, both in the form of infrastructure and resourcing, and via the provision of internal expertise amongst program managers. Where resources are limited, leveraging other support, especially from institutional sources, was seen as important as was ensuring the scope of policy requirements were commensurate with the support available and readiness of research communities. Throughout the desk research and the interviews a consistent theme is the desire for cultural change, where data management and sharing practices are embedded within the norms of behaviour for research communities. There is general agreement that progress from aspirational policies to achieving compliance is challenging and that broad cultural change, with the exception of specific communities, is a long way off. It is interesting to note that discussion of cultural change is largely externalised. There is little engagement with the concept of culture as an issue to consider or work with and very little engagement with models of how cultural change could be enabled. The disagreement over the value of DMPs is one example of how a lack of active engagement with culture and how it changes is leading to problems. Key Findings Policies on RDM and RDS are being developed by a number of agencies, primarily in the Global North. These policies are broadly consistent in aspiration and outlines but differ significantly in details of implementation. Policies generally develop along a path starting with aspirational statements, followed by recommendations, then requirements, and finally auditing and compliance measures. Measurement of policy adoption and compliance in terms of the over goals of increased availability and re-use of data is not tracked and is likely unmeasurable currently. Data Management Plans are a central requirement for many policies, in part because they can be made compulsory and act as a general focus for raising awareness. There are significant differences in the views of stakeholders on the value of Data Management Planning in its current form. Some stakeholders regard them as successful in raising awareness albeit with some limitations. Some regard them as actively damaging progress towards real change in practice by making RDM appear as one administrative activity among the many required for grant submission Successful policy implementation is coupled with funder support for infrastructure and training. Seeing RDM as an area for collaboration between funders and researchers may be valuable Internal expertise and support within a funder is often a gap which becomes a problem with monitoring and implementation DMPs can be a helpful part of process but it will be important to make them useful documents throughout and beyond the project If the object of RDM and RDS policy is cultural change in research communities then direct engagement with understanding the various cultures of researcher and other stakeholder communities, alongside frameworks of how they change is an important area for future focus.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e21283

Authors: Ulrike Sturm, Sven Schade, Luigi Ceccaroni, Margaret Gold, Christopher Kyba, Bernat Claramunt, Muki Haklay, Dick Kasperowski, Alexandra Albert, Jaume Piera, Jonathan Brier, Christopher Kullenberg, Soledad Luna

Abstract: Mobile apps and web-based platforms are increasingly used in citizen science projects. While extensive research has been done in multiple areas of studies, from Human-Computer Interaction to public engagement in science, we are not aware of a collection of recommendations specific for citizen science that provides support and advice for planning, design and data management of mobile apps and platforms that will assist learning from best practice and successful implementations. In two workshops, citizen science practitioners with experience in mobile application and web-platform development and implementation came together to analyse, discuss and define recommendations for the initiators of technology based citizen science projects. Many of the recommendations produced during the two workshops are applicable to non-mobile citizen science project. Therefore, we propose to closely connect the results presented here with ECSA’s Ten Principles of Citizen Science.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e19860

Authors: Trevor Burt, Ximo Mengual

Abstract: This BIG4 PhD project involves the overall taxonomic revision of the genera Allobaccha Curran and Asarkina Macquart (Diptera: Syrphidae). The revisions will be divided by biogeographic region (Afrotropical and Indomalayan) and published accordingly. The publications will be collated as a thesis for submission to the University of Bonn (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Germany) doctoral program of biology. The goal of this project is to resolve alpha taxonomy and to infer the phylogenetic placement of these genera within the Syrphidae using Next-Generation Sequencing and Anchored Hybrid Enrichment techniques. The techniques undertaken in this project will be applied to future systematic problems in Diptera and testing future phylogenetic hypotheses.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e14672

Authors: Cameron Neylon

Abstract: This is the Data Management Plan for the project "Exploring the opportunities and challenges of implementing open research strategies within development institutions" the proposal for which was published as https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.2.e8880. The research proposal calls for support for a pilot project to conduct open data pilot case studies with eight (8) IDRC grantees to develop and implement open data management and sharing plans. The results of the case studies will serve to refine guidelines for the implementation of development research funders’ open research data policies.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e14673

Authors: Cameron Neylon

Abstract: There is a wide and growing interest in promoting Research Data Management (RDM) and Research Data Sharing (RDS) from many stakeholders in the research enterprise. Funders are under pressure from activists, from government, and from the wider public agenda towards greater transparency and access to encourage, require, and deliver improved data practices from the researchers they fund. Funders are responding to this, and to their own interest in improved practice, by developing and implementing policies on RDM and RDS. In this review we examine the state of funder policies, the process of implementation and available guidance to identify the challenges and opportunities for funders in developing policy and delivering on the aspirations for improved community practice, greater transparency and engagement, and enhanced impact. The review is divided into three parts. The first two components are based on desk research: a survey of existing policy statements drawing in part on existing surveys and a brief review of available guidance on policy development for funders. The third part addresses the experience of policy implementation through interviews with funders, policy developers, and infrastructure providers. In our review we identify, in common with other surveys, that RDM and RDS policies are increasingly common. The most developed are found amongst funders in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and European Union. However many other funders and nations have aspirational statements or are developing policy. There is a broad pattern of policy development moving from aspiration, to recommendations, to requirements, and finally reporting and auditing of data management practice. There are strong similarities across policies: a requirement for data management planning, often in grant submissions, expectations that data supporting published articles will be made available, and in many cases requirements for data archiving and availability over extended periods beyond grants. However there are also important differences in implementation. There is essentially no information available on the uptake and success of different policies in terms of compliance rates, or degrees of data availability. Many policies require a Data Management Plan as part of grant submission. This requirement can be enforced but there is disagreement on the value of this. One view is that requirements such as DMPs are the only way to force researchers to pay attention to these issues. The other is that such requirements lead to a culture of compliance in which the minimal effort is made and planning is seen as a “tick-box” exercise that has no further value. In this view requirements such as DMPs may actually be damaging the effort to effect culture change towards improved community practice. One way to bring these two views together is to see DMPs as living documents that form the basis of collaboration between researchers, funders, and data managers throughout the life of a research project. This approach is reflected in guidance on policy development that emphasises the importance of clarifying responsibilities of various stakeholders and ensuring that researchers are both recognised for good practice and see tangible benefits. More broadly this points to the need for the program of improving RDM and RDS to be shared project with the incentives for funders and researchers aligned as far as is possible. In the interviews successful policy implementation was often seen to be dependent on funders providing the required support, both in the form of infrastructure and resourcing, and via the provision of internal expertise amongst program managers. Where resources are limited, leveraging other support, especially from institutional sources, was seen as important as was ensuring the scope of policy requirements were commensurate with the support available and readiness of research communities. Throughout the desk research and the interviews a consistent theme is the desire for cultural change, where data management and sharing practices are embedded within the norms of behaviour for research communities. There is general agreement that progress from aspirational policies to achieving compliance is challenging and that broad cultural change, with the exception of specific communities, is a long way off. It is interesting to note that discussion of cultural change is largely externalised. There is little engagement with the concept of culture as an issue to consider or work with and very little engagement with models of how cultural change could be enabled. The disagreement over the value of DMPs is one example of how a lack of active engagement with culture and how it changes is leading to problems. Key Findings Policies on RDM and RDS are being developed by a number of agencies, primarily in the Global North. These policies are broadly consistent in aspiration and outlines but differ significantly in details of implementation. Policies generally develop along a path starting with aspirational statements, followed by recommendations, then requirements, and finally auditing and compliance measures. Measurement of policy adoption and compliance in terms of the over goals of increased availability and re-use of data is not tracked and is likely unmeasurable currently. Data Management Plans are a central requirement for many policies, in part because they can be made compulsory and act as a general focus for raising awareness. There are significant differences in the views of stakeholders on the value of Data Management Planning in its current form. Some stakeholders regard them as successful in raising awareness albeit with some limitations. Some regard them as actively damaging progress towards real change in practice by making RDM appear as one administrative activity among the many required for grant submission Successful policy implementation is coupled with funder support for infrastructure and training. Seeing RDM as an area for collaboration between funders and researchers may be valuable Internal expertise and support within a funder is often a gap which becomes a problem with monitoring and implementation DMPs can be a helpful part of process but it will be important to make them useful documents throughout and beyond the project If the object of RDM and RDS policy is cultural change in research communities then direct engagement with understanding the various cultures of researcher and other stakeholder communities, alongside frameworks of how they change is an important area for future focus.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e13820

Authors: Timm Schoening, Jennifer Durden, Inken Preuss, Alexandra Branzan Albu, Autun Purser, Bart De Smet, Carlos Dominguez-Carrió, Chris Yesson, Daniëlle de Jonge, Dhugal Lindsay, Jan Schulz, Klas Ove Möller, Kolja Beisiegel, Linda Kuhnz, Maia Hoeberechts, Nils Piechaud, Stephanie Sharuga, Tali Treibitz

Abstract: Marine optical imaging has become a major assessment tool in science, policy and public understanding of our seas and oceans. Methodology in this field is developing rapidly, including hardware, software and the ways of their application. The aim of the Marine Imaging Workshop (MIW) is to bring together academics, research scientists and engineers, as well as industrial partners to discuss these developments, along with applications, challenges and future directions. The first MIW was held in Southampton, UK in April 2014. The second MIW, held in Kiel, Germany, in 2017 involved more than 100 attendees, who shared the latest developments in marine imaging through a combination of traditional oral and poster presentations, interactive sessions and focused discussion sessions. This article summarises the topics addressed during the workshop, particularly the outcomes of these discussion sessions for future reference and to make the workshop results available to the open public.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e13726

Authors: Erin Dickie, Steven Hodge, R. Craddock, Jean-Baptiste Poline, David Kennedy

Abstract: We examine the similarity of outputs from Freesurfer version 5.1, Freesurfer version 5.3 and ANTS for the ABIDEI dataset.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e13593

Authors: Leo Lahti, Filipe da Silva, Markus Laine, Viivi Lähteenoja, Mikko Tolonen

Abstract: This paper gives the reader a chance to experience, or revisit, PHOS16: a conference on the History and Philosophy of Open Science. In the winter of 2016, we invited a varied international group to engage with these topics at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Our aim was a critical assessment of the defining features, underlying narratives, and overall objectives of the contemporary open science movement. The event brought together contemporary open science scholars, publishers, and advocates to discuss the philosophical foundations and historical roots of openness in academic research. The eight sessions combined historical views with more contemporary perspectives on topics such as transparency, reproducibility, collaboration, publishing, peer review, research ethics, as well as societal impact and engagement. We gathered together expert panelists and 15 invited speakers who have published extensively on these topics, which allowed us to engage in a thorough and multifaceted discussion. Together with our involved audience we charted the role and foundations of openness of research in our time, considered the accumulation and dissemination of scientific knowledge, and debated the various technical, legal, and ethical challenges of the past and present. In this article, we provide an overview of the topics covered at the conference as well as individual video interviews with each speaker. In addition to this, all the talks were recorded and they are offered here as an openly licensed community resource in both video and audio form.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e13395

Authors: Kaori L Ito, Julia Anglin, Hosung Kim, Sook-Lei Liew

Abstract: Quantifying lesions in a reliable manner is fundamental for studying the effects of neuroanatomical changes related to recovery in the post-stroke brain. However, the wide variability in lesion characteristics across individuals makes manual lesion segmentation a challenging and often subjective process. This often makes it difficult to combine stroke lesion data across multiple research sites, due to subjective differences in how lesions may be defined. Thus, we developed the Semi-automated Robust Quantification of Lesions (SRQL; https://github.com/npnl/SRQL; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.557114) Toolbox that performs several analysis steps: 1) a white matter intensity correction that removes healthy white matter voxels from the lesion mask, thereby making lesions slightly more robust to subjective errors; 2) an automated report of descriptive statistics on lesions for simplified comparison between or across groups, and 3) an option to perform analyses in both native and standard space to facilitate analyses in either space. Here, we describe the methods implemented in the toolbox.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e13236

Authors: Caroline Jay, Robert Haines, Markel Vigo, Nicolas Matentzoglu, Robert Stevens, Jonathan Boyle, Alan Davies, Chiara Del Vescovo, Nicolas Gruel, Anja Le Blanc, David Mawdsley, Dale Mellor, Eleni Mikroyannidi, Richard Rollins, Andrew Rowley, Julio Vega

Abstract: The Code/Theory workshop explored the process of translating between theory and code, from the perspective of those who do this work on a day to day basis. This report contains individual contributions from participants reflecting on their own experiences, along with summaries of their lightning talks and outputs from the discussion sessions. We conclude that translating between theory and code successfully requires a diversity of roles, all of which are central to the process of research.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e12733

Authors: Swati Rane, Eshin Jolly, Anne Park, Hojin Jang, Cameron Craddock

Abstract: We designed a modular machine learning program that uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in order to distinguish individuals with autism spectrum disorders from neurodevelopmentally normal individuals. Data was selected from the Autism Brain Imaging Dataset Exchange (ABIDE) I Preprocessed Dataset.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e12641

Authors: Jingyuan Chen, Deepika Bagga

Abstract: Lower signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the scanning environment is generally considered to exert a negative impact on the inter-/intra-subject consistency of resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) metrics. Here, we show through simulations that this assumption is not always true - poor SNR may paradoxically increase reliability metrics of RSFC under certain circumstances, due to the reduced senstivity to dynamic changes in brain connectivity.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e12342

Authors: Julia Huntenburg, Alexandre Abraham, João Loula, Franziskus Liem, Kamalaker Dadi, Gaël Varoquaux

Abstract: Processing neuroimaging data on the cortical surface traditionally requires dedicated heavy-weight software suites. Here, we present an initial support of cortical surfaces in Python within the neuroimaging data processing toolbox Nilearn. We provide loading and plotting functions for different surface data formats with minimal dependencies, along with examples of their application. Limitations of the current implementation and potential next steps are discussed.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e12346

Authors: Julia Huntenburg, Konrad Wagstyl, Christopher Steele, Thomas Funck, Richard Bethlehem, Ophélie Foubet, Benoit Larrat, Victor Borrell, Pierre-Louis Bazin

Abstract: Increasingly available high-resolution brain imaging data require specialized processing tools that can leverage their anatomical detail and handle their size. Here, we present user-friendly Python tools for cortical depth resolved analysis in such data. Our implementation is based on the CBS High-Res Brain Processing framework, and aims to make high-resolution data processing tools available to the broader community.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e12276

Authors: Anisha Keshavan, Christopher Madan, Esha Datta, Ian McDonough

Abstract: Mindcontrol is an open-source web-based dashboard to quality control and curate neuroimaging data. At Neurohackweek 2016, a group assembled to add new features to the Mindcontrol interface. Contributors used Python, Javascript, and Git to configure Mindcontrol for the ABIDE and CoRR open datasets, and add new types of plots to the interface. All contributions are freely available online, and the code is being actively maintained at http://www.github.com/akeshavan/mindcontrol.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e12259

Authors: Kaori Ito, Julia Anglin, Sook-Lei Liew

Abstract: Quantifying lesions in a robust manner is fundamental for studying the effects of neuroanatomical changes in the post-stroke brain on recovery. However, the wide variability in lesion characteristics across individuals makes manual lesion segmentation a challenging and often subjective process. This makes it difficult to combine stroke lesion data across multiple research sites, due to subjective differences in how lesions may be defined. We developed the Semi-automated Robust Quantification of Lesions (SRQL; https://github.com/npnl/SRQL; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.267213) Toolbox that performs several analysis steps: 1) a white matter intensity correction that removes healthy white matter voxels from the lesion mask, thereby making lesions slightly more robust to subjective errors; 2) an automated report of descriptive statistics on lesions for simplified comparison between or across groups, and 3) an option to perform analyses in both native and standard space to facilitate analyses in either space, or comparisons between spaces. Here, we describe the methods implemented in the toolbox and demonstrate the outputs of the SRQL toolbox.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e12095

Authors: Horea-Ioan Ioanas, Bechara Saab, Markus Rudin

Abstract:

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e11875

Authors: Florian Wetzel, Katherine Despot Belmonte, Heather Bingham, Evelyn Underwood, Anke Hoffmann, Christoph Häuser, Piotr Mikolajczyk, Katrin Vohland

Abstract:

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.3.e11743

Authors: ElHassan ElSabry

Abstract: A proposal to create a comprehensive online resource documenting the usage of Open Access research outside academia including an evidence base, a world map showing instances of impact and a forum for discussing methods to measure the societal impact of Open Access.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e11563

Authors: Veljo Runnel, Florian Wetzel, Quentin Groom, Wouter Koch, Israel Pe’er, Nils Valland, Emmanouela Panteri, Urmas Kõljalg

Abstract: Citizen science is an approach of public participation in scientific research which has gained significant momentum in recent years. This is particularly evident in biology and environmental sciences where input from citizen scientists has greatly increased the number of publicly available observation data. However, there are still challenges in effective networking, data sharing and securing data quality. EU BON project has analyzed the citizen science landscape in Europe with regards to biodiversity research and proposes several policy recommendations. One of the recommendations is a Pan-European citizen science gateway for biodiversity data with dedicated tools for data collection and management. The prototypes of the gateway components are part of the EU BON biodiversity portal and described in current report.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e10269

Authors: Harvey Nichols, Susann Stolze

Abstract:

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e9933

Authors: Dimitrios Koureas, Christos Arvanitidis, Lee Belbin, Walter Berendsohn, Christian Damgaard, Quentin Groom, Anton Güntsch, Gregor Hagedorn, Alex Hardisty, Donald Hobern, Arnald Marcer, Daniel Mietchen, David Morse, Matthias Obst, Lyubomir Penev, Lars Pettersson, Soraya Sierra, Vincent Smith, Rutger Vos

Abstract: Europe is building its Open Science Cloud; a set of robust and interoperable e-infrastructures with the capacity to provide data and computational solutions through cloud-based services. The development and sustainable operation of such e-infrastructures are at the forefront of European funding priorities. The research community, however, is still reluctant to engage at the scale required to signal a Europe-wide change in the mode of operation of scientific practices. The striking differences in uptake rates between researchers from different scientific domains indicate that communities do not equally share the benefits of the above European investments. We highlight the need to support research communities in organically engaging with the European Open Science Cloud through the development of trustworthy and interoperable Virtual Research Environments. These domain-specific solutions can support communities in gradually bridging technical and socio-cultural gaps between traditional and open digital science practice, better diffusing the benefits of European e-infrastructures.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e9651

Authors: Joakim Philipson

Abstract:

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e9115

Authors: Chad Hammond

Abstract: Cancer incidence is growing within First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) communities, yet research and supportive care is slow to respond to their unique needs and experiences. The proposed project will engage important stakeholders involved in FNIM cancer care within Ontario, including health care professionals, health administrators, and FNIM community leaders. This study builds upon a national study on FNIM cancer survivors. Three objectives drive this research: 1) To identify strengths and needs within FNIM cancer care in Ontario from multiple perspectives; 2) To exchange knowledge of FNIM cancer experiences between stakeholders through arts-based methods, especially photography; 3) To work collaboratively with stakeholders to establish recommendations for improving FNIM cancer care. The project involves early consultations with stakeholders on the most pressing questions and issues in the area. Then, 20 participants (10 health care professionals, 5 health administrators, and 5 FNIM community leaders) will be recruited to use and discuss photos that capture experiences of FNIM cancer care. A report will be generated and dispensed to participants, bringing together various experiences, themes, perspectives, and recommendations for improving the state of care.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e8861

Authors: János Tóth

Abstract: Small grant proposal for the period between August 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015 of the Kelemen Mikes Program; for collecting the legacy of the Hungarian diaspora from documents of libraries and archives, and for the historical study of these communities.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e8880

Authors: Cameron Neylon, Leslie Chan

Abstract:

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e8815

Authors: Arno Klein, Steven Ellis

Abstract: The proposed research develops new computational tools to identify, diagnose, and predict treatment response for different mental illnesses. The research will first be applied to publicly available resting state fMRI BOLD data from patients with attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. It will also be applied to existing clinical and biological data concerning suicidality in the context of major depressive disorder. These disorders affect millions of Americans, but these tools can be applied to any mental illness, such as Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia – indeed to analyze differences in brain, clinical, and biological data between any two populations.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e8760

Authors: Stephen Abrams, Andrea Goethals, Martin Klein, Rosalie Lack

Abstract:

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e8615

Authors: Chad Hammond

Abstract: Cancer incidence is growing within First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) communities, yet research and supportive care is slow to respond to their unique needs and experiences. The proposed project will engage important stakeholders involved in FNIM cancer care within Ontario, including health care professionals, health administrators, and FNIM community leaders. This study builds upon a national study on FNIM cancer survivors. Three objectives drive this research: 1) To identify strengths and needs within FNIM cancer care in Ontario from multiple perspectives; 2) To exchange knowledge of FNIM cancer experiences between stakeholders through arts-based methods, especially photography; 3) To work collaboratively with stakeholders to establish recommendations for improving FNIM cancer care. The project involves early consultations with stakeholders on the most pressing questions and issues in the area. Then, 20 participants (10 health care professionals, 5 health administrators, and 5 FNIM community leaders) will be recruited to use and discuss photos that capture experiences of FNIM cancer care. A report will be generated and dispensed to participants, bringing together various experiences, themes, perspectives, and recommendations for improving the state of care.

HTML

XML

PDF

DOI: 10.3897/rio.2.e8458

Authors: Willi Egloff, Donat Agosti, David Patterson, Anke Hoffmann, Daniel Mietchen, Puneet Kishor, Lyubomir Penev

Abstract:

HTML

XML

PDF