Community guidelines to increase the reusability of marine microfossil assemblage data

• Autores: Jonkers, Lukas; Tonke, Strack; Alonso Garcia, Montserrat; D'haenens, Simon; Huber, Robert; Kucera, Michal; Hernández Almeida, Iván; Jones, Chloe; Metcalfe, Brett; Saraswat, Rajeev; Silye, Lóránd; Verma, Sanjay K.; Abd Malek, Muhamad Naim; Auer, Gerald; Barbosa, Cátia; Barcena, Maria A.; Baumann, Karl Heinz; Boscolo Galazzo, Flavia; Calvelo, Joeven Austine; Capotondi, Lucilla; Caratelli, Martina; Cardich, Jorge; Carvajal Chitty, Humberto; Chroustová, Markéta; Coxall, Helen K.; de Mello, Renata; de Vernal, Anne; Diz, Paula; Edgar, Kirsty M.; Filipsson, Helena L.; Fraguas, Ángela; Furlong, Heather L.; Galli, Giacomo; García Chapori, Natalia Luz
• Año de publicación: 2025
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Marine microfossils; Reusable information; Community guidelines
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

Data on marine microfossil assemblage composition has multiple applications. Initially, it was primarily used for (chrono)stratigraphy and palaeoecology, but these data are now also widely used to study evolutionary and ecological processes, such as past biodiversity and its links with environmental dynamics, or to provide a basis for conservation efforts and biomonitoring. The large range of potential applications renders microfossil abundance data ideal for reuse. However, the complexity inherent in taxonomic data, which encompass extant and extinct species, coupled with the inherent intricacies of information on biological communities extracted from sedimentary archives, poses considerable hurdles in reusing marine microfossil data, even when it is publicly available. Here, we present guidelines derived from an online survey conducted within the marine micropalaeontological community, aimed at improving the reusability of microfossil assemblage data. These guidelines advocate for clarity and transparency in the documentation of the methods and the outcome, and we outline the data attributes required for effective reuse of micropalaeontological data. These guidelines are intended for researchers who generate microfossil abundance datasets, as well as for reviewers, editors, and data curators at repositories.One hundred and thirteen researchers evaluated the relevance of about 50 data attributes that might be needed to enable and maximise the reuse of marine microfossil abundance datasets. Each property is ranked based on the survey results. All information is, in principle, considered “desired”. Information that improves the reusability is ranked as “recommended”, and information that is required for reuse is ranked as “essential”. Analysis of a selection of datasets available online reveals a rather large gap between data properties deemed essential by survey participants and what is actually contained in publicly available microfossil assemblage datasets. Whereas the survey indicates that the micropalaeontological community values good data stewardship, improving data reusability still requires new efforts to incorporate all the essential information. The guidelines presented here are intended as a step in that direction. Determining the optimal forms and formats for data sharing are obvious next steps the community needs to take.
Fil: Jonkers, Lukas. Universitat Bremen; Alemania
Fil: Tonke, Strack. Universitat Bremen; Alemania
Fil: Alonso Garcia, Montserrat. Universidad de Salamanca; España
Fil: D'haenens, Simon. Hasselt University; Bélgica
Fil: Huber, Robert. Universitat Bremen; Alemania
Fil: Kucera, Michal. Universitat Bremen; Alemania
Fil: Hernández Almeida, Iván. Universite de Berne. Faculty Of Science.; Suiza
Fil: Jones, Chloe. University of Southampton; Reino Unido
Fil: Metcalfe, Brett. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países Bajos
Fil: Saraswat, Rajeev. National Institute Of Oceanography Of India; India
Fil: Silye, Lóránd. Babeș-bolyai University; Rumania
Fil: Verma, Sanjay K.. Geological Survey Of India; India
Fil: Abd Malek, Muhamad Naim. Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman; Malasia
Fil: Auer, Gerald. University Of Graz.; Austria
Fil: Barbosa, Cátia. Universidade Federal Fluminense; Brasil
Fil: Barcena, Maria A.. Universidad de Salamanca; España
Fil: Baumann, Karl Heinz. Universitat Bremen; Alemania
Fil: Boscolo Galazzo, Flavia. Universitat Bremen; Alemania
Fil: Calvelo, Joeven Austine. University Of The Philippine; Filipinas
Fil: Capotondi, Lucilla. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italia
Fil: Caratelli, Martina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina
Fil: Cardich, Jorge. Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (upc);
Fil: Carvajal Chitty, Humberto. Universidad Bolivariana de Venezuela; Venezuela
Fil: Chroustová, Markéta. Czech Geological Survey;
Fil: Coxall, Helen K.. Stockholm University Of The Arts (uniarts);
Fil: de Mello, Renata. Petrobras Energia S.a.-planta Puerto Gr.san Martin; Argentina
Fil: de Vernal, Anne. Université du Québec a Montreal; Canadá
Fil: Diz, Paula. Universidad de Vigo; España
Fil: Edgar, Kirsty M.. The University Of Birmingham (tub);
Fil: Filipsson, Helena L.. Lund University; Suecia
Fil: Fraguas, Ángela. Universidad del Rey Juan Carlos.; España
Fil: Furlong, Heather L.. University of Illinois; Estados Unidos
Fil: Galli, Giacomo. Universita' Ca' Foscari Di Venezia; Italia
Fil: García Chapori, Natalia Luz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina