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Dryad

Data for: Sustainable connectivity in a community repository

Habermann, Ted1

Published Dec 07, 2023 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.nzs7h44xr

Data files

Dec 07, 2023 version files 169.52 MB

Abstract

Identifiers of many kinds are the key to creating unambiguous and persistent connections between research objects and other items in the global research infrastructure (GRI). Many repositories are implementing mechanisms to collect and integrate these identifiers into their submission and record curation processes. This bodes well for a well-connected future, but many existing resources submitted in the past are missing these identifiers, thus missing the connections required for inclusion in the connected infrastructure. Re-curation of these metadata is required to make these connections.

The Dryad Data Repository has existed since 2008 and has successfully re-curated the repository metadata several times, adding identifiers for research organizations, funders, and researchers. Understanding and quantifying these successes depends on measuring repository and identifier connectivity. Metrics are described and applied to the entire repository here.

Identifiers for papers (DOIs) connected to datasets in Dryad have long been a critical part of the Dryad metadata creation and curation processes. Since 2019, the % of datasets with connected papers has decreased from 100% to less than 40%. This decrease has significant ramifications for the re-curation efforts described above as connected papers are an important source of metadata. In addition, missing connections to papers make understanding and re-using datasets more difficult.

Connections between datasets and papers are many times difficult to make because of time lags between submission and publication, lack of clear mechanisms for citing datasets and other research objects from papers, changing focus of researchers, and other obstacles. The Dryad community of members, i.e. users, research institutions, publishers, and funders have vested interests in identifying these connections and critical roles in the curation and re-curation efforts. Their engagement will be critical in building on the successes Dryad has already achieved and ensuring sustainable connectivity in the future.