Activity

I would like to share with you an opportunity to work with a new online journal from Nature Publishing Group called Scientific Data, which focuses on publishing descriptions of data. The goal of Scientific Data is to help authors publish content that promotes the scientific value and reusability of their datasets and, in turn, gives investigators credit for sharing their data. The journal will serve as a forum for publications about datasets, but will not function as a primary data repository. Instead, Scientific Data will work with data repositories (deposition is a requirement of publication) to publish articles using a Data Descriptor format.

For those involved in nanotechnology, as well as other areas that create large datasets (proteomics/genomics), the timing of this new journal’s introduction is excellent. This is a chance to start the process of further integrating repositories with journals, and incorporating this process with the data sharing requirements of funding agencies (a win-win for all).

In particular, Scientific Data welcomes Data Descriptor manuscripts that expand on earlier publications, especially when the Data Descriptor will help others reuse important datasets. They also expect that most of their Data Descriptor submissions will describe unpublished data. Data Descriptors can be used to:
describe important datasets that might not have made it into the main research publication, or were only partially described or not fully released;
publish an update if a dataset has grown or evolved since the original paper;
provide a fuller, more in-depth look at the data processing steps, supported by additional data files and code from each processing step – helping others to fully reproduce the data analysis;
publish additional tutorial-like information for scientists interested in reusing or integrating the data.
Data Descriptors are independently peer-reviewed and citable, and can have different authors from any previous research manuscripts.
In working with repositories, Scientific Data will complement and enhance repository services by providing:
· a publication platform for detailed methods descriptions and technical validation information;
· data search and discovery features that reach across diverse repositories;
· peer-review of data release;
· the career credit that is duly associated with rigorously peer-reviewed publications.
Find out more about how to submit a manuscript to Scientific Data here: http://www.nature.com/scientificdata/submitting
To learn more about data repository criteria for Scientific Data, please visit: http://www.nature.com/scientificdata/for-authors/data-deposition-policies/#repository-criteria