Integration of Data and Publications - Alliance for Permanent Access

Report on Integration of Data and Publications Grant Agreement no.: 261530
0. INTRODUCTION
Science is changing. The massive volume and variety of data pouring out of publicly
funded science are transforming the face of research. These data belong to everyone. If
we manage these precious resources properly, we may tackle the Grand Challenges of
our times – even as budgets become more restricted. It is easy to take for granted that
data in the public domain will be protected and remain both available and accessible.
Researchers, publishers, policymakers and funders – among many others – have started
to appreciate that a robust, sustainably funded infrastructure is absolutely necessary to
protect the hard-earned fruits of publicly funded research.
Opportunities for Data Exchange (ODE) 1 , a project funded by the European Commission
(FP7) with Grant Agreement number 261530, is gathering evidence to support and
promote data sharing, re-use and preservation. ODE partners are members of the
Alliance for Permanent Access (APA) and represent stakeholders with significant
influence within their communities. ODE is identifying, collating, interpreting and
delivering evidence for emerging best practice in sharing, re-using, safeguarding and
citing data. ODE is also documenting drivers of change, and barriers to progress in this
important area.
The transition from science to e-Science is happening: a data deluge emerges from
publicly-funded research facilities; a massive investment of public funds into the
potential answer to thegrand challenges of our times. This potential can only be realised
by adding an interoperable data sharing, re-use and preservation layer to the emerging
eco-system of e-Infrastructures. The importance of this layer, on top of emerging
connectivity and computational layers, has not yet been addressed coherently at ERA or
global level. All stakeholders in the scientific process must be involved in its design this
layer: policy makers, funders, infrastructure operators, data centres, data providers and
users, libraries and publishers. They need evidence to base their decisions and shape the
design of this layer.
The ODE partners are:
• European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
• Alliance for Permanent Access (APA)
• CSC – IT Centre for Science
• Helmholtz Association
• Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
• The British Library
• Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (DNB)
• International Association of STM Publishers (STM)
• Stichting LIBER Foundation)
All of them are members of the Alliance for Permanent, which collectively represent all
these stakeholder groups and have a significant sphere of influence within those
communities. The project will identify, collate, interpret and deliver evidence of
1
www.ode-project.eu
Opportunities for Data Exchange (ODE) –www.ode-project.eu 10