Findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability of research data – these are the principles of a FAIR data policy, which the RatSWD has been expressly supporting since 2004. The German Data Forum recently published the Manifesto for the Economic and Social Sciences goINg FAIR Implementation Network (EcoSoc-IN) to initiate the improvement of access to disclosive data on a national and international Level.
EcoSoc-IN is the first GO FAIR implementation network for the social, behavioural, and economic sciences. It addresses the specific data protection needs of those disciplines. Research data most often contain disclosive data on individuals, companies, or institutions. The establishment of the EcoSoc-IN of the GO FAIR initiative has paved the way for an international platform to discuss the design of tailored access paths to such disclosive research data in accordance with data protection Regulation.
EcoSoc-IN puts the focus on research data centres (RDCs) as a tried-and-tested solution for research data access. Since its inception, the German Data Forum has accredited 32 such RDCs. They bring a wealth of experience to the table, which will facilitate interdisciplinary and international exchange. EcoSoc-IN’s manifesto was developed in close cooperation with the accredited RDCs. EcoSoc-IN is committed to promoting and enhancing the RDC model and to developing solutions to continuously improve the linkability and interoperability of disclosive research data, particularly on a cross-national Level.
Participation in EcoSoc-IN is open to any organisation or individual endorsing the manifesto. The broad support of EcoSoc-IN among national and international scientific communities in the social, behavioural, and economic sciences will facilitate implementing the goals laid out in the manifesto on a national and international Level.
German Data Forum
Established in 2004, the German Data Forum (Rat für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsdaten, RatSWD) is an independent council. It advises the German federal government and the federal states (Länder) in matters concerning the research data infrastructure for the empirical social, behavioural, and economic sciences. RatSWD has 16 members. Membership consists of eight elected representatives of the social, behavioural, and economic sciences and eight appointed representatives of Germany’s most important data producers. The German Data Forum offers a forum for dialogue between researchers and data producers, who jointly issue recommendations and position papers. The council furthers the development of a research infrastructure that provides researchers with flexible and secure access to a broad range of data. RatSWD has accredited 32 research data centres and fosters their interaction and collaboration. |
GO FAIR initiative
The GO FAIR initiative is a bottom-up international approach for the practical implementation of the European Open Science Cloud as part of a global Internet of FAIR Data & Services. The initiative aims at avoiding silo formation, undue competition and fragmentation by fostering concerted “FAIRification” efforts by its participants. The initiative is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI).
