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Explore roles played by shared data collections in neuroscience research, exemplified by the NACR case study. Learn about resource collections, data curation, and implications for scientific production and communication.
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The Roles of Shared Data Collections in Neuroscience Melissa Cragin Data Curation Conference November 21, 2006
Introduction • Resource Collections • Features of the Neurosciences field • A Case Study – the NACR • Findings: Roles of the Collection • Next steps in the research
The Neurosciences Field • Rapid growth over the last 30 years • Multi-disciplinary and highly specialized • fragmented knowledge base • Problem-oriented research is increasing • Need to integrate data across scales • Many data types, file formats and standards • Sharing experimental data is not a traditional practice • Often highly competitive
Methods • Case Study developed over last two years • Interview Participants (n=25) Users (20) Depositors (9) End-users and Prospective users (11) Database developers (3) Consultants (2) • Document analysis
The NeuroAnatomical Cell Repository • Public data collection and services • Multiple data types (2D + 3D images, animations, numerical data, annotations, etc.) • Distributed architecture • Oracle – SRB configuration • Dependencies on external organizations for continuity of service • Web-based • Interface for deposition • Data views publicly accessible • Data download on request • Moving from Beta to Production level system
Curation tasks for the NACR Verify & Annotate Mobilize Documentation “Packaging”
Data management Analysis Re-analysis Novel “cross-analysis” Algorithm development Modeling Collaboration Communication forum Informal Communication Peer Review Images for talks Use in the classroom Activities Associated with Use of the Collection
The NACR in Scientific Production • Project coherence • a single “location” for project data “The great thing that I found, it takes a project and groups it all together, it forces you to put everything in one location, and that’s great. … This reduces search time to locate it, etc. will make things quicker to get at; this is simplistic but not trivial, it will save me time.” [C1MDP1]
Production, cont’d. • Opportunities for novel analysis • Spatial registration of data • Facilitates re-analysis of one’s own data • “cross-analysis” “Because if you have similar pieces of information across projects you might be able to map trends that are rather subtle.”[P1MDP1] • data mining • in ways comparable to Literature-based Discovery tools, such as testing hypotheses
Production, cont’d • Secondary users of this resource • Algorithm development • Modeling • Supporting collaboration
The NACR and Scholarly Communication • Informal Communication • Sharing data with unintended users (e.g. clinical colleagues) • Formal Communication • Publishing • Educational applications • Undergraduate summer program in neurosciences • Use of images for teaching
Summary • Roles of the NACR in: • Scientific Production • Data Management • Modeling • Scholarly Communication • Peer Review • Curation activities along the deposit process • “Drafting” scientists into the use of shared collections • “Points of entry”
Next Steps… • Comparative analysis of several resource collections • Begin to assess the variety of resource level data collections • Are there predominant models of resource level data collections? • Are there indicators of collection longevity? • Map data collection uses onto current models of scholarly communication • Extend our knowledge about data practices • What are scientists’ roles in data curation across the data lifecycle?
References • Ascoli, G.A. (2006). Mobilizing the base of neuroscience data: the case of neuronal morphologies. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7(4), 318-324. • Crawford, S.Y., Hurd, J.M., & Weller, A.C. (1994). From Print to Electronic: The Transformation of Scientific Communication. Medford, NJ: Information Today. • National Science Board (2005). Long-Lived Digital Data Collections: Enabling Research and Education in the 21st Century. Available: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsb0540/nsb0540.pdf [Accessed February 7, 2006]
Thank you Melissa Cragin Graduate School of Library and Information Science University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign cragin@uiuc.edu This project has been supported in part by NSF grant # 0222848.