CODATA invites proposals for Task Groups to be approved by the 31st CODATA General Assembly which will be held on 26 October 2018, in Gaborone, Botswana, following International Data Week 2018, 22-26 October 2018 (comprising our research conference SciDataCon 2018).

The final deadline for submissions of Task Group Proposals is 15 June 2018. Proposals will be reviewed by the CODATA Executive Committee and by external experts. Recommendations will be presented to the CODATA General Assembly which will select the Task Groups.

Potential Task Groups are invited to submit draft proposals for comment by the CODATA Executive Committee. Such draft proposals should be submitted in the attached form to Simon Hodson, CODATA Executive Director [log in to unmask] no later than 28 February 2018. Feedback will be provided no later than 30 April 2018.

Task Groups are approved by the General Assembly for 2 years. Existing CODATA Task Groups may apply for renewal and are subject to the same criteria, as described in the attached document.

The three priority areas in the CODATA Strategy are as follows:

To promote Open Data principles, policies and practices;
To advance the frontiers of data science and its adaptation to scientific research;
To build capacity for improving skills and the functioning of science systems (particularly in low and middle income countries - LMICs)

The call suggests some high priority topics under each of these headings (see the call document for further details):

Open data principles, policies and practices

developing good practice and recommendations around data principles and policies;
examining the limits of openness;
synthesizing and advancing work on the benefits of data sharing;
exploring the theme of data diplomacy to consider what international agreements can promote the more open availability of data.

Frontiers of Data Science

Reproducibility in research
Statistical, epistemological and ethical challenges of Big Data
Criteria for selection and preservation of research data
Development of glossaries, data dictionaries or ontologies
Data integration and data strategies for international, transdisciplinary research programmes

Capacity building, data skills and education

analyzing requirements for data education
developing and refining the curriculum for ‘research data science’;
examining and articulating the processes and standards for the creation of reusable online materials and the development of those materials;
examining and addressing issues around access to research software, the maintenance and development of Open Source research software.

Task Group proposals addressing these or similar issues are particularly encouraged. This does not mean that Task Group proposals addressing areas not described below will be considered out of scope: we invite and encourage innovative ideas from the CODATA community.

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Announcing International Data Week 2018 22-26 October, Gaborone, Botswana

Papers from SciDataCon 2016, part of International Data Week, Denver, Colorado now available in the CODATA Data Science Journal

Film about CODATA-RDA School of Research Data Science 2017, ICTP, Trieste: #DataTrieste from Studio Cosico

What has CODATA delivered recently? See the CODATA Prospectus: Strategy and Achievement, 2015-2017 (Second Edition) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1034217
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Dr Simon Hodson | Executive Director CODATA | http://www.codata.org

E-Mail: [log in to unmask] | Twitter: @simonhodson99 | Skype: simonhodson99
Tel (Office): +33 1 45 25 04 96 | Tel (Cell): +33 6 86 30 42 59

CODATA (Committee on Data of the International Council for Science), 5 rue Auguste Vacquerie, 75016 Paris, FRANCE