This publication includes the metadata schema and documentation for the registration of International Generic Sample Numbers (IGSN) by GFZ Data Services between 2015 and 2024.
The IGSN schema definitions included here give an overview of the existing elements for sample description used in the different data centres managed by the IGSN Agent GFZ Data Services. To date, GFZ Data Services organises their IGSN collections according to different projects or research groups which are displayed as different datacentres in the catalogue (https://dataservices.gfz-potsdam.de/igsn-new/).
The modular IGSN metadata schema, developed by IGSN e.V., formed the basis for the registration of IGSN sample descriptions. Until 2022, the following three modules were used:
IGSN Registration Metadata Schema: mandatory metadata properties required for the IGSN registration (Handle Server)
IGSN Descriptive Metadata Schema: generic description of a specimen’s core elements as defined by IGSN e.V. These elements were intended to represent the common metadata kernel for all IGSN allocating agents.
IGSN Supplemental Metadata Schema: additional, sample-specific metadata elements that can be individually developed by IGSN Allocating Agents.
This schema represents a further development of the IGSN metadata schema originally developed by System for Earth Sample Registration (SESAR², www.geosamples.org) in the framework of the IGSN Organisation (IGSN e.V.) with specific additions for the GFZ use case. It was used for IGSN registrations since 2015.
As part of the project "FAIR Workflows to establish IGSN for Samples in the Helmholtz Association" (FAIR WISH), funded by the Initiative and Networking Fund of the Helmholtz Association (Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration HMC). these schemes were secured and the documentation for the registration metadata, descriptive metadata documentation was completed.
Physical samples (or specimen or artefacts) represent the origin of research results in many scientific disciplines. Assigning persistent identifier (PID) to samples is a fundamental step to make them discoverable and traceable in unambiguous way over the Web. The International Generic Sample Number (IGSN) is a PID for physical samples and connecting these with their online description following a dedicated metadata schema.
Sample descriptions of samples are available in various formats and detail. In order to publish them in a standardized manner and to automate and standardize the preparation and processing, the software product SAMIRA (Sample IGSN Registration Automation) was created as part of the Project FAIR WISH, funded by the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC).
SAMIRA aims to automate the generation of Metadata XML-Files for the Registration of PIDs from different input sources (e.g. the FAIR Samples Template, Wiezcorek et al., 2023). This first version of SAMIRA implements the creation of IGSN metadata and Datacite metadata and the respective registration.
The Marine Data Portal is a product of the “Underway”- Data initiative of the German Marine Research Alliance (Deutsche Allianz Meeresforschung - DAM) and is supported by the marine science centers AWI, GEOMAR and Hereon of the Helmholtz Association. This initiative aims to improve and standardize the systematic data collection and data evaluation for expeditions with German research vessels and marine observation. It supports scientists in their data management duties and fosters (data) science through FAIR and open access to marine research data. AWI, GEOMAR and Hereon develop this marine data hub (Marehub) to build a decentralized data infrastructure for processing, long-term archiving and dissemination of marine observation and model data and data products.
The Marine Data Portal provides user-friendly, centralized access to marine research data, reports and publications from a wide range of data repositories and libraries in the context of German marine research and its international collaboration.
The Marine Data Portal is developed by scientists for scientists in order to facilitate Findability and Access of marine research data for Reuse. It supports machine-readable and data driven science. Please note that the quality of the data may vary depending on the purpose for which it was originally collected.