There have been a number of systems developed for the unique identification and description of physical (material) samples. Interdisciplinary variations are inevitable and must be supported by the infrastructure since no single facility or approach will suit all. However, sample identifier and metadata practices and tools developed within a single discipline must still enable data discovery, integration and reuse across multiple data systems. There has to be a balance between enabling interdisciplinary aggregations, without impacting on deeper disciplinary descriptions within the local or community-specific variations, that would enable greater and more effective use/reuse of a sample and its related data artefacts (e.g., observations, images, analytical data). 

What is required is a global ‘Framework’ that will leverage common elements within each ‘System’, but will still allow some inevitable differences to enable each ‘System’ to also meet its stakeholder needs. 

The objectives of this session is to bring together the global samples community to determine the key metadata elements across multiple sample communities that enable:

1. Sample and data discovery; 

2. Sample (meta)data access and linking across systems; and 

3. Ensuring credit in reuse of samples and data.

Collaborative session notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RK3bnyt_7bUeYR-znhMcVul_P7fcqx15xzjnPtdowCw/edit?usp=sharing

1. Welcome (5 minutes)

   1. Logistics & overview of session objectives, invitation to fill in attendance and invite participants to enter their samples projects in a crowd-sourced catalogue

2. Review of ‘23 things’ Physical Samples (10 minutes)

   1. An overview of practical, free, online resources and tools (DRAFT)

3.  Five-minute Lightning presentations on various major systems developing infrastructure for samples (20 minutes) 

   1. ESIP Samples Cluster: Draft Journal Guidance for Physical Samples and Associated data – Sarah Ramdeen

   2. New Projects and updates: iSamples/Sampling Nature – Sarah Ramdeen (on behalf of Kerstin Lehnert)

   3. Metadata Mapping (iSamples) – Steve Richards

   4. Update on partnership between DataCite and IGSN – Jens Klump

4. Deep Dive: Use cases on Linking Related Physical Samples and Interdisciplinary Data. Introduction to the breakout sessions on reviewing identifiers, key metadata elements, and/or coordination efforts required for interdisciplinary sample data discovery, integration, and reuse across multiple data systems  (5 minutes) Joan Damerow

5. Three concurrent breakout sessions (30 minutes each), selected by attendees on:

   1. Interdisciplinary Sample and Data Discovery (Steve Richards)

   2. Sample Meta(data) Access and Linking across Data Systems (Joan Damerow)

   3. Reuse of samples and data: what metadata is critical to ensure credit? (Lesley Wyborn)

6. Circle back (15 minute) on: Joan Damerow

   1. Interdisciplinary Discovery

   2. Access and Linking

   3. Ensuring Credit in Reuse of Samples

7.  Synthesis and Next steps (5 minutes) Lesley Wyborn

Anyone from any sector that is trying to integrate metadata and data on samples from multiple diverse communities.