RDA provides a neutral space for researchers to develop standards and share data across disciplines through working groups and interest groups. It focuses on developing interoperability through deliverables like registries and identifiers. While it doesn't define architecture, it aims to foster connections and provide unity. RDA also takes a "glocal" approach, implementing standards locally while addressing global issues. Friction in collaboration is inevitable but necessary for progress, and RDA provides a place for discussions to work through differences.

1. Unless otherwise noted, the slides in this presentation are licensed by Mark A. Parsons under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License
Learning from past infrastructure to embrace
friction and create the Research Data Alliance
Mark A. Parsons
Secretary General
American Geophysical Union
San Francisco, CA
16 December 2014

2. Friction is inevitable and
necessary in collaboration
“A wheel turns
because of its
encounter with the
surface of the road;
spinning in the air it
goes nowhere.”
cover notes for
Friction—An Ethnography of
Global Connection
by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing
Marcel DuChamp’s Bicycle Wheel
photo © nuzz—www.flickr.com/photos/nuzz/

3. Friction—An ethnography
of global connection
“Actual existing
universalisms are hybrid,
transient, and involved in
constant reformulation
through dialogue.”
They work out through
friction.

4. Coalition Politics
“There is no reason to
think collaborators
have common goals.”

5. Dynamics of Infrastructure
Edwards, et al. 2007 Understanding Infrastructure: Dynamics,
Tensions, and Design.
• Infrastructures become “ubiquitous, accessible, reliable, and
transparent” as they mature.
• Systems Networks Inter-networks
• “system-building, characterized by the deliberate and successful
design of technology-based services.”
• “technology transfer across domains and locations results in
variations on the original design, as well as the emergence of
competing systems.”
• Finally, “a process of consolidation characterized by gateways
that allow dissimilar systems to be linked into networks.”

6. Research Data Alliance
Vision
Researchers and innovators openly share data across
technologies, disciplines, and countries to address the
grand challenges of society.
Mission
RDA builds the social and technical bridges that enable
open sharing of data.

7. The Evolution of Data Citation—Then
• Back in the day, data were embedded in the literature as tables, maps,
monographs, etc.—and we cited accordingly.
• Then digital data becomes the norm. It’s messier and we forget how to routinely
cite.
• Initial efforts to define digital data citation in the late 90s - early 00s
• Right idea, little traction (or friction)
• Partially conflated with the citing URLs issue
• A blossoming in the mid-late 00s.
• Multiple disciplines start developing approaches and guidelines
• DOI a big driver, especially for publishers and DataCite, but other identifiers
used too (Handles, LSIDs, UNFs, ARKs and good ol’ URI/Ls)
• A somewhat competitive atmosphere—more friction.

8. • Now a consensus phase
• Out of Cite, Out of Mind: The Current State of Practice, Policy, and
Technology for the Citation of Data. 2013.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2481/dsj.OSOM13-043
• Global Joint Declaration of Data Citation Principles. 2014.
http://www.force11.org/datacitation
The Evolution of Data Citation—Now

9. • Implementation phase just begun
• ESIP Guidelines adopted by a variety of NASA and NOAA data centers, AGU
and GEOSS.
• AGU Publishing Committee has author guidelines based on ESIP.
• Data centers are building relationships with publishers.
• Several data centers partnering with publishers, e.g. Elsevier’s “article of the
future”.
• Joint implementation team for the Principles
• It happens locally and requires culture change so debates and friction will
continue.
The Evolution of Data Citation—Next

10. A final point from Tsing
•“Unity and diversity cover each other up.” Need to
remember the local.
•This means we must act “glocally” to succeed.
Glocalization “means the
simultaneity—the co-presence—
of both universalizing and and
particularizing tendencies.”
Roland Robertson

11. Friction is also
“Where Good Ideas Come From”
•The Adjacent Possible—the
importance of local
•Often not “Eureka!” but rather a
slow hunch fading in to view over
time.
•Hunches need to collide with other
hunches so create that
environment. Don’t protect IP
share it. Connecting vs. protecting
•Sharing of failures as well.
•Create spaces for that to happen—
virtual and real coffee shops
•“Chance favors the connected mind.”

12. What does this mean for RDA?
1. RDA focusses on developing “gateways”
2. RDA doesn’t do “architecture,” but it does provide a level of unity.

13. Deliverables that make data work
“Create - Adopt - Use”
• Adopted code, policy, specifications, standards, or practices that
enable data sharing
• “Harvestable” efforts for which 12-18 months of work can eliminate
a roadblock
• Efforts that have substantive applicability to
groups within the data community but may
not apply to all
• Efforts that can start today
RDA Principles
Openness
Consensus
Balance
Harmonization
Community Driven
Non-profit

14. RDA Working Groups
1. Brokering Governance
2. Data Citation WG
3. Data Description Registry
Interoperability
4. Data Foundation and Terminology
WG
5. Data Type Registries WG
6. Metadata Standards Directory
Working Group
7. PID Information Types WG
8. Practical Policy WG
9. RDA/CODATA Summer Schools in
Data Science and Cloud Computing
in the Developing World*
10.RDA/WDS Publishing Data
Bibliometrics WG
11.RDA/WDS Publishing Data Services
WG
12.RDA/WDS Publishing Data
Workflows WG
13.Repository Audit and Certification
DSA–WDS Partnership WG
14.Standardisation of Data Categories
and Codes WG
15.The BioSharing Registry:
connecting data policies, standards
& databases in life sciences*
16.Wheat Data Interoperability WG
* in review

15. • A basic vocabulary of foundational terminology and query tool to make sure we know what
we’re talking about.
• A data type model and registry (“MIME-types” for data) to help tools interpret, display, and
process data.
• A persistent identifier type registry to help search engines understand what they are pointing to
and retrieving.
• Coming soon:
• A basic set of machine actionable rules to enhance trust
• A metadata standards directory so we can describe similar things consistently
• A dynamic-data citation methodology so we can reference precise subsets of changing
data.
• Semantically linked terms describing wheat data so we can share harvest and related
information around the world
• A unified repository certification scheme to reduce confusion and improve trust.
Initial Products—adopt one today!

16. What does this mean for RDA?
1. RDA focusses on developing “gateways”
2. RDA doesn’t do “architecture,” but it does provide a level of unity.
3. RDA plays both globally and locally—Think “glocal”.

17. Distribution of 2,538 Individual RDA Members in 92 Countries
3 December 2014
Other
6%
Private
13%
Government
17% Academia
64%
Map courtesy traveltip.org
Europe
51%
North America
36%
Austral-pacific
5%
Africa
3%
South
America
1%
Asia
5%

18. Regional RDAs
• Australian National Data Service, RDA/United States, RDA/Europe,
• Implement RDA deliverables locally and enhance adoption.
• Ensure regional or national issues are addressed globally.
• Support plenaries and support attendance at plenaries.

19. What does this mean for RDA?
1. RDA focusses on developing “gateways”
2. RDA doesn’t do “architecture,” but it does provide a level of unity.
3. RDA plays both globally and locally—Think glocal.
4. RDA fosters relationships, interfaces, and connections.
5. RDA provides a “neutral place” to identify and work through friction.

20. RDA Interest Groups
1. Active Data Management Plans IG*
2. Agricultural Data Interoperability IG
3. Big Data Analytics IG
4. Biodiversity Data Integration IG
5. Brokering IG
6. Community Capability Model IG
7. Data Fabric IG
8. Data for Development
9. Data in Context IG
10.Development of cloud computing capacity and
education in developing world research
11.Digital Practices in History and Ethnography IG
12.Domain Repositories Interest Group
13.Education and Training on handling of research
data
14.ELIXIR Bridging Force IG
15.Engagement IG
16.Federated Identity Management
17.Geospatial IG*
18.Libraries for Research Data*
19.Long tail of research data IG
20.Marine Data Harmonization IG
21.Metabolomics
22.Metadata IG
23.PID Interest Group
24.Preservation e-Infrastructure IG
25.Quality of Urban Life IG
26.RDA/CODATA Legal Interoperability IG
27.RDA/CODATA Materials Data, Infrastructure &
Interoperability IG
28.RDA/WDS Certification of Digital Repositories IG
29.RDA/WDS Publishing Data Cost Recovery for
Data Centres
30.RDA/WDS Publishing Data IG
31.Reproducibility IG*
32.Research data needs of the Photon and Neutron
Science community
33.Research Data Provenance
34.Service Management IG
35.Structural Biology IG
36.Toxicogenomics Interoperability IG
* in review

21. Plenary 5
San Diego, California
9 - 11 March 2015
©2013 Pecoff Studios Inc

22. Get involved!
• Join RDA as an individual member supporting our principles at
http://rd-alliance.org
• Join as an Organisational Member (nominal fee) or an
Organisational Affiliate (jointly sponsored efforts).
• Initiate or join an Interest Group
• Propose or join a Working Group
• Attend the RDA Plenaries
Coming together is a beginning;
keeping together is progress;
working together is success.
—Henry Ford

23. Info:
enquiries@rd-alliance.org
@resdatall