GRC OS IE Manifesto

This document will be updated soon. Please use the working document here as it allows commenting and collaborative editing: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sOLHOxN3QqrA4rkI-iLiHFA3cX9M3cCev6Pb3hYU9f4/edit?usp=sharing

Working group for the development of Industrial Ecology Open Science standards

Draft by Niko Heeren, Rick Lupton, Rupert Myers, Stefan Pauliuk

In 2016 the International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE) mandated a task force to develop Open Science guidelines for the society. The Data Transparency Task Force DTTF concluded its work by the end of 2017 and published recommendations in the Journal of Industrial Ecology (Hertwich et al. 2018). The editorial describes minimum requirements for data transparency in publishing and a badge system for open publication standards. Both are in the process of being implemented in the JIE. Nevertheless, the DTTF did not cover all aspects of Open Science, and rather decided to focus on specific issues related to publishing and data transparency. However, it also gave recommendations for further work.

This document describes the goals and possible targets of a follow-up working group. The signatories of this document have formed autonomous working groups under the Industrial Ecology Open Science Github repository. The working group intends to develop standards and tools that facilitate Open Science in the field of Industrial Ecology. The aim of this document is to be acknowledged by the ISIE as an official working group and to obtain support by the society. The working group aspires maximum transparency and openness to all IE scientists, which is why we use public repositories and mailing lists.

Open Science does not have a clear definition[1] and is a broad term that may refer to different practices in publishing, modelling, etc. It is our conviction that open science is the future of academia and offers particular opportunities in the IE domain. In the following we formulate, what we propose to be key values and principles of IE open science.

Research in IE should be:

a) transparent

b) reusable (-> standards for data formats)

c) inclusive & fair: no bias, same opportunities

We think the best way to achieve a) transparency is:

Open data. Data that is used in models and publications should be freely available.
Procedural transparency. The source code of models should be available. This aspect was not addressed by the DTTF and Hertwich et al. 2018, respectively.
Reproducible. Sharing code alone is not sufficient. The procedures must be also documented in general and understandable terms.

We think the best way to achieve b) reusable research/knowledge is:

Data formats. Common data formats that simplify complete understanding of the research.
Discoverability. Common IE database(s) would facilitate discoverability, storage, analysis, and sharing of data.

We think the best way to achieve c) inclusivity & fairness is:

Open access. Freely available data, articles, and code help people do state-of-the-art research.
Publication practices. For instance, moving towards an open peer review process may help to eliminate bias in publications.
Welcome culture. Documentation and good communication help to ensure that everyone (irrespective of background) feels welcome and reduces barriers to participation and contribution.

Areas of activity

The above values and topics will require specific activities and working groups to identify the best methods to achieve them. The working groups will be open for everyone to join and contribute. The following areas of activity can be envisioned:

Organisational structures. A working group that discusses the structures of working group. It may be required to develop statutes, etc. Also an open science ISIE section could be desirable.
Peer review. Determine the feasibility and usefulness of open peer review in IE.
Outreach. Responsibility to lead/inform on sustainability science issues if we find something shocking that the rest of the world needs to know about
Awareness raising. Inform IE scientists about the benefits of open science practices.
Open educational material. Collect, prepare, and publish methods and best practices of IE science to support newcomers and students.
Journal support. Follow-up activity to the DTTF. Develop and propose standards for implementation in the JIE, balancing academic and community interests.
Open data.
- Ontologies. Development of data ontologies allowing the formatting and harmonisation of data that applies to everyone and that everyone agrees on.
- Data formats. Discuss and propose data formats that facilitate the development of a community database.
- Database structures. Develop database structures that are secure, performant and easy to maintain.
Code & procedural transparency. Discuss and propose best practice examples: of code, or methods, of the application of IE. The IE Dashboard is already an excellent collection of IE open source tools.

The above list is non-exhaustive.

References

Hertwich, E., N. Heeren, B. Kuczenski, G. Majeau-Bettez, R.J. Myers, S. Pauliuk, K. Stadler, and R. Lifset. 2018. Nullius in Verba1: Advancing Data Transparency in Industrial Ecology. Journal of Industrial Ecology 22(1): 6–17. http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/jiec.12738.