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12-14 November 2024, Costa Rica and Online

RDA 23rd Plenary Meeting (RDA P23) | Sustainable Science

Global Open Research Commons IG+ International Model WG Combined Session

Recommendations, implementations, & profiles

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Welcome and Ice Breakers

Fill out the Menti! https://www.menti.com/alsrvefixbm5

Or go to menti.com and enter the code 4349 0801

Have you heard of the GORC IG or WG before?
What sort of organisation are you from?
What country are you based in?
What do you think of when you hear the word "commons"?
Which areas are you interested in learning more about?

Sign in to the collaborative notes!

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Introduction - Global Open Research Commons (GORC)

GORC International Model WG

GORC IG

Roadmap

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GORC: The coordination of data infrastructure on various levels) is on the increase. So called “Open Science Commons” or “Data commons” provide a shared virtual space, platform, and/or marketplace for data and services. Examples include the European Open Science Cloud, the Australian Research Data Commons, the African Open Science Platform, open government portals and initiatives outside traditional research contexts. Coordinating across these initiatives to enable a network of interoperable research commons is the goal of the Global Open Research Commons. The realized vision of GORC will provide frictionless access to all research artifacts including, but not limited to: data, publications, software and compute resources; and will rely on metadata, vocabulary, and identification services being available to everyone everywhere, at all times.

GORC IG: The Interest Group will provide a neutral place where people have conversations about Open Research Commons. The GORC IG is working to develop a roadmap for global alignment to help set priorities for Commons development and integration.

GORC WG: The Working Group operates under the umbrella of the GORC IG. The WG’s goal is to evaluate and recommend a model for attributes for global research commons that allows researchers and developers to coordinate services and create roadmaps for international interoperability. In its current form, the WG aims to answer “WHAT should be considered when building, expanding, operating, etc. a commons?”. The model is a contribution to the roadmap - The model is actionable on the level of individual commons, the roadmap is an overarching action plan on a global scale.

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GORC-IG Supporting Outputs

GORC IG Typology & Definitions

https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA/00095

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GORC-IG started in March 2018 with a BoF

The goal of the IG was to provide a neutral place where people could discuss issues relating to what are referred to as “Open Science Commons” or “Data commons”, and to develop a roadmap for commons integration

Started by trying to understand the space:

generated a definition of a commons

examined a range of existing research commons architectures

developed a typology of the essential elements in a commons

Realised that we needed to be clearer about what we meant for each element and so came up with a set of definitions for each of the essential elements of a commons identified by the IG

This typology was presented to the RDA community as a supporting output in early 2023, revised in July 2023 to respond to community comments, and accepted as a supporting output in August 2023.

Typology and Definitions

Jones, S., Leggott, M., Lopez Albacete, J., Madalli, D., Pascu, C., Payne, K., Schouppe, M., & Treloar, A. (2023). GORC IG: Typology and Definitions (Version 1.01). Research Data Alliance. https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA00087

Diagram alone

Jones, S., Leggott, M., Lopez Albacete, J., Pascu, C., Payne, K., Schouppe, M., & Treloar, A. (2023). GORC IG Typology and Definitions Diagram (Version 1.0). Research Data Alliance. https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA/00095

NOTE: As this field evolves, the definitions and typology may need to be revisited

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Speaker Series (12)

Phase 1+2 review

WG meetings

task groups

model

typology

report

✔

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IG: typology and the typology graphic went out for a community request for comment in May 2023 and was endorsed on July 26th 2023.

WG: We completed our speaker series with a total of 12 (4 since P20). A phase 2 literature review, bringing the total number of resources considered up to 150+, and a phase 2 evaluation by 6 task groups. Starting in July 2023, a writing group began working on the report to accompany the model. September 2023 saw a “workshop week” where we held 9 meetings to address any outstanding issues and concerns with the current model, and were able to resolve all immediate concerns (and build a lot of ideas for future work!). We submitted the model as a spreadsheet and the report for RfC in mid-September, and they were endorsed during IDW23. We’ve been working on adoption and supporting work since.

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GORC IM WG outputs: Introduction, context, intent

Non-prescriptive guide
Spreadsheet container (for now)
Organized by IG essential elements, broken down into categories & subcategories
Extended description, examples, sources, consideration level.
Glossary
KPIs & metrics

Background information and intent
Detailed methodology
Narrative summary of model
Current and intended use of the model
Areas of future work

report

model

GORC IM V1.0

https://doi.org/10.15497RDA/00099

GORC IM V1.0

https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA00097

GORC IM V1.1

https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA00119

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The model is a first attempt to describe granular components of a commons.The purpose of the GORC-WG International Model is to provide a framework and common language to stakeholders around the world who are committed to developing interoperable research services for the public good. The target audience for the model is anyone that is involved in the planning, development, operation, funding or use of a research commons. It is not intended as a prescriptive model, but rather to define and establish a common basis of attributes and features of research commons that users of the model can consider in the context of their own commons as it evolves.. In particular, Commons* developers may use this model as a guide for what to consider as they build, maintain, and expand their commons, while policymakers and funders may use this model to guide what they prioritize and support for commons.

The model is currently represented as a spreadsheet, with a flat breakdown of the categories and subcategories within each essential element of a commons and the attributes and features that belong to them. The model is accompanied in the same document by extended descriptions, examples, and sources for each item as well as a consideration level that is intended on a gentle guide on priority for each item. To ensure clarity, the model also has its own glossary. Lastly, the model presents an organized starting point for KPIs and metrics that commons developers may wish to consider as they build their own.

The report is an accompanying narrative document that provides background information about the initiative, describes its intent and intended audience, the method used to create it, its structure and content. It also provides brief descriptions of communities and activities that have proposed to, or are currently, utilising the model in different contexts, as well as next steps for work in this area

We took time over the spring and summer to implement small changes to the international commons model V1.0 and resubmitted it as an RDA recommendation. V1.1 was endorsed by RDA as an RDA recommendation on 28 October 2024!

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Model structure

Essential Element

Entities

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Takeaways from P22

The GORC IG Typology of Essential Elements is very useful as a discussion starter and prompt for everyone associated with a commons
The model is useful, but would benefit from some revisions, evidence of relevance through framework mapping, implementation profiles, and a more interactive, friendly container.
Support for adopters is an ongoing need, as well as showcasing the value and impact of using the model for various interested groups.

To do:

model V1.0 revisions and resubmit as a recommendation
mapping V1.0 to relevant frameworks
Get support for making an interactive container for the model
New WG to tackle:

adoption support
implementation profiles

✔

→

!

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Adoption stories

SURF (Netherlands)

REASON (Norway, proposed)

Laurents Sesink

Strategic relations manager

Maarten Hoogerwerf

Research Innovation Architect

Rory Macneil

CEO & Founder, RSpace

Philipp Conzett

Senior Research Librarian, UiT

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SURF and REASON provided adoption stories to RDA as part of the V1.1 recommendation process!

SURF:

Using the model to guide governance discussions and decisions
Gap analysis, using details in technology elements
Intent of the model needs to be clear! Not for comparison between infrastructures or dictating what you MUST do!
Want to use the model as a template for creating EOSC national nodes.
See SURF’s presentation slides: https://www.rd-alliance.org/system/files/documents/Adoption_GORC_SURF.pdf

REASON:

Used model to structure funding proposal
In-depth, comprehensive use of the model
Enabled faster and smoother proposal writing
Adoption of the model doesn’t need to be a direct 1-1 adoption, REASON showcased how they could take everything considered in the model, distill what was important for them, and recombine into WP that fit their funding proposal needs and local contexts for a national commons infrastructure.
Check out their full presentation: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10694490
And proposal brief: https://zenodo.org/records/10410202

UiT = the Arctic University of Norway

RSpace = Research Space

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Interim Outputs - Mapping with Data Mesh Vocabulary

Mapping from An Annotated Glossary for Data Commons, Data Meshes, and Other Data Platforms and the GORC model
Findings:

Most relevant to technical elements
No new concepts, several additions to items to make them more granular
Add some definitions to GORC Glossary
Several items should be reformatted in the GORC IM

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Interim Outputs - Mapping between MaLDReTH and GORC IM

MaLDReTH is a map of the landscape of digital research tools landscape, including a reinvigoration of the research data lifecycle and where research tools fit in that lifecycle.

Findings:

Can map some items, but not a great fit due to difference in audience, scope, and granularity
Models are better suited to compliment each other
ACTION: work with MaLDReTH WG to find how our outputs should be used together by commons builders.

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Interim Outputs - Mapping with the TRUST Principles

The TRUST principles for digital repositories provide a common framework to facilitate discussion and implementation of best practice in digital preservation: Transparency, Responsibility, User focus, Sustainability and Technology

High level mapping to essential elements possible, indicating which principle is best supported by the items in each overall
Better to consider as a slice of the model instead - how implementations of the model enable the TRUST principles for a commons
ACTION: consider thematic slices for principles

Category	Mapping
Governance Structures	Transparency
Rules of Participation & Access	Responsibility
Services & Tools	Responsibility
Research Objects	Responsibility
Standards	Responsibility
Human Capacity	User Focus
Engagement	User Focus
Sustainability	Sustainability
Compute, Storage, Network, AAI	Technology
Services & Tools	Technology

T

R

U

S

T

TRUST

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GORC II WG - Deliverables and issues to address

D1: Implementations of the model

Types of commons confirmed
National Data Services commons profile
Profiles of specific existing commons

D2: Improved navigation and use of the model

format improvements through identifiers, semantic objects, and an interactive web interface
model documentation communicating value narratives and an introduction package
model slices
model mappings & connections to existing frameworks, models, vocabularies, and principles

D3: Updated and expanded literature analysis

Providing a common language to describe commons through the GORC IM

→ improve it’s relevance and usability (D2.1, D2.2, D2.3), and content (D3)

Providing examples of what implementations of commons can be

→ through profiles (D1.1, D1.2, D1.3)

Showcasing where existing frameworks and models have gaps, connect together, and compliment each other

→ mappings (D2.4)

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See the case statement doc, open for comments and suggestions! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WrA69FBdtAWNPo5lY5VKHQ0FbQoXWV2QBt-Ef42kRC8/edit?usp=sharing

Expanded deliverables:

identifying and defining implementations of the GORC IM that may then be referenced as examples for commons development (D1);
Improving usability by creating an interactive container for the GORC IM that includes documentation, thematic subsets of the mode, and mappings with existing frameworks, models, vocabulary, and principles (D2); and
Ensuring updated relevance to current literature and community considerations on commons and research infrastructure by continuing our literature analysis and subsequent updates to the IM (D3).

Issues the deliverables address:

Providing a common language to describe commons through the GORC IM

Achieved by improving it’s relevance and usability (D2.1, D2.2, D2.3), and content (D3)

Providing examples of what implementations of commons can be

Achieved through implementation profiles (D1.1, D1.2, D1.3)

Showcasing where existing frameworks and models have gaps, connect together, and compliment each other

Achieved through mappings with existing tools (D2.4)

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GORC II WG - Timeline

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GORC II WG - Work plan and discussion

Versions of outputs from TGs will inform the next version of outputs for themselves and other TGs

Monthly WG meetings to review intermediate outputs

Use Task Group (TG) structures again

National Data Service (NDS) profile TG, in collaboration with the NDS IG
Implementation-specific profile TG
Model container TG
Model documentation TG
Model slices TG
Model mappings TG

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Next Steps

GORC II WG case statement will be open for casual community comments until 30 November 2024, at which point we’ll look to formalize it for submission to RDA
We would like to start GORC II WG work in early 2025, potential February or April 2025 (discussions needed on co-chair availability), aim to submit case statement to RDA in December 2024.
Applying for RDA-TIGER support in November and December 2024 for GORC II WG work starting in 2025

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THANK� YOU

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