ELIXIR has opened the process for Nodes to propose databases as ELIXIR Core Data Resources - resources of fundamental importance to the wide life-science community and the long-term preservation of biological data.
ELIXIR Core Data Resources will act as flagships of excellence, both within ELIXIR and the wider bioinformatics community. They will present a community consensus on data resources that are of utmost importance to life sciences. As such, they will drive ELIXIR’s sustainability strategy and provide insight on quality and impact to policy makers. Their operation and life-cycle management will also act as quality benchmark in ELIXIR capacity building.
Identifying ELIXIR Core Data Resources
The process opened on 3 October, with ELIXIR Nodes now able to put forward nominations of their national resources as candidates for ELIXIR Core Data Resources. In February 2017 the ELIXIR Heads of Nodes Committee will review all nominations against a specific set of criteria, before ELIXIR’s independent Scientific Advisory Board completes the review in spring 2017.
The primary purpose of this first round is to test the selection process and the criteria to ensure it is an effective and excellence-driven approach. Based on the experience gained and the feedback from the ELIXIR Nodes, the selection process and criteria may be modified. The plan is to repeat the procedure periodically to ensure regular assessment and update of the resource portfolio.
Quality Indicators
The indicators used to identify ELIXIR Core Data Resources have been published in the ELIXIR channel on F1000 Research. They include the following: (1) scientific focus and quality of science; (2) community served by the resource; (3) quality of the service; (4) legal and funding infrastructure, and governance; and (5) impact and translational stories.
The development of these indicators was conducted by ELIXIR’s Data Platform, through the ELIXIR-EXCELERATE grant, and led by Christine Durinx (ELIXIR Switzerland) and Jo McEntyre (EMBL-EBI), following widespread community input.