OGS’s Open Science commitment presented in Turin
The National Oceanographic Data Centre (NODC) of the OGS took part in the 5th in-person meeting of the Italian Data Stewards Community (CIDS) in Turin, highlighting the importance of open science and data management within the OGS’s action plan to implement the agreement signed to reform the research evaluation system.
CIDS was established in Rome on 7 November 2023, during the first in-person meeting of the Italian Computing and Data Infrastructure (ICDI). The Community aims to better define, recognise and promote the role of data stewards, which is still little known in Italy. In general terms, a data steward is a data professional who supports researchers and other experts in managing data and related outputs in accordance with the ‘guiding principles of Open Science’ and the FAIR-by-design approach. The latter is a methodology that integrates the FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) into the early stages of a project in order to ensure that data and resources are FAIR from the outset.
The OGS’s initiative focuses on actions to improve open science practices between 2024 and 2029. These actions are included in the roadmap of the body responsible for implementing the Agreement for Reforming Research Assessment (ARRA) (ARRA), as defined by the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA).
On 5 March 2024, the OGS joined the CoARA and signed the ARRA. The Agreement, published in July 2022, provides a framework for reforming the current research evaluation system. CoARA is a global coalition of organisations that fund, conduct or evaluate research, as well as other relevant bodies. The signatories to the ARRA commit to reforming research evaluation methods based on common principles, within an agreed timeframe, to facilitate collaboration and mutual learning. The aim is to dismantle current publication-based evaluation methods, which fail to recognise the diversity of research contributions from different professional backgrounds. On 7 July, the OGS Action Plan was published on ‘Zenodo’. The plan outlines the measures the OGS will adopt by 2029 to implement the agreement’s commitments. To support the implementation of this reform, the President of the OGS, Nicola Casagli, has established the OGS-CoARA Working Group, a voluntary body comprising representatives from all key areas of the institution; NODC participates in the group. The OGS plan sets out seven strategic actions for the implementation of the ten commitments established in the ARRA.
NODC was primarily involved in defining Action 4 (Supporting the adoption of good practices, in particular open science) and Action 5 (Reviewing the criteria for research assessment in career evaluation procedures). During her presentation, Chiara Altobelli outlined the OGS Action Plan, focusing on the actions that NODC intends to undertake to promote open science within the OGS and its recognition, and to improve the acknowledgement of data stewards.
Further information available in the "NODC presentation".