FAIR SCI Ahead: The Evolution of the Open Data Commons for Pre-Clinical Spinal Cord Injury Research

JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA, 2020 · DOI: 10.1089/neu.2019.6674 · Published: March 15, 2020

Spinal Cord Injury Healthcare Research Methodology & Design

Simple Explanation

The article discusses the development of an Open Data Commons (ODC) for pre-clinical Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) research, following the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data principles. The ODC-SCI enables data management, harmonization, and controlled sharing of data, organized around virtual laboratories with distinct data-sharing spaces. The goal is to promote transparency, data reuse, and collaborative discovery in the SCI research field, while properly crediting data generators.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Representatives from the SCI community, biomedical SCI researchers, bioinformatics/data scientists, funding, publishing and industry representatives, governmental agencies, university administrators, and individuals with SCIs

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
The ODC-SCI implements FAIR data sharing and enables pooled data-driven discovery while crediting the generators of valuable SCI data.
2
A workshop identified key considerations for data sharing including what data to share, who should access it, and how to ensure data quality and sustainability.
3
The ODC-SCI architecture is built around digital laboratory spaces that control the level of access to data uploaded to the system.

Research Summary

The paper summarizes the policy outcomes of the FAIR-SCI Ahead meeting and reports on progress implementing these policies in the form of a digital ecosystem: the Open Data Commons for Spinal Cord Injury (ODC-SCI.org). ODC-SCI enables data management, harmonization, and controlled sharing of data in a manner consistent with the well-established norms of scholarly publication. The ODC-SCI implements FAIR data sharing and enables pooled data-driven discovery while crediting the generators of valuable SCI data.

Practical Implications

Promoting Data Sharing

The ODC-SCI provides a platform for researchers to share their data, increasing transparency and collaboration in the SCI field.

Enhancing Research Reproducibility

By making data accessible and reusable, the ODC-SCI can help improve the reproducibility of SCI research findings.

Accelerating Discovery

The ODC-SCI facilitates meta-analysis and data mining, potentially leading to new insights and therapies for SCI.

Study Limitations

1
Data quality control is challenging, particularly with retrospective studies.
2
Achieving self-sustainability for the ODC-SCI requires moving away from reliance on grants and toward a subscription or other business model.
3
Continuous community engagement and incentives are needed to develop a thriving SCI community repository.

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