Revolutionizing Geoscience Research and Publishing with Open-Source Programming and FAIR Principles

Geoscientists are taking research and publishing to the next level with open-source programming and FAIR principles. Find out how a new workshop is paving the way for innovative collaboration and reproducibility in the field.

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Leveling Up Research and Publishing in Geoscience’s Open-Source Era

The geoscience community is on the cusp of a revolution. A new workshop held at the University of Southern California’s (USC) Information Sciences Institute (ISI) is paving the way for geoscientists to level up their research, data sharing, and publishing techniques.

Ancient rocks from the Southern Ocean Geoscientists gathered for the first FROGS workshop

Eighteen geoscientists from diverse backgrounds gathered for the first FROGS (Facilitating Reproducible Open GeoScience) workshop at USC’s ISI from June 3-6, 2024. The workshop aimed to equip participants with advanced techniques in open-source programming languages like Python and R, as well as FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) science publishing principles.

“I’m leading projects on the expansion of Port Everglades and water quality around South Florida. Learning to use Python to automate data processing will make our studies more robust and efficient.” - Jhon Mojica, senior researcher at the University of Miami working with NOAA

Setting Sail with PyRATES

The workshop was hosted by LinkedEarth, an initiative that brings together AI and paleoclimate research to create a cohesive understanding of historical climate data by revolutionizing the way data is managed and analyzed. The PyRATES (Python and R Analysis of Time SerieS) curriculum catered to researchers with little to no experience in computer programming languages and was led by experts in the field.

Satellite images of the Earth’s atmosphere; soil samples from the Mojave Desert trenches Geoscientists learned advanced techniques in open-source programming languages

“Implementing these techniques will help me better understand climate cycles and the stability of ice sheets over geological time.” - Pranaykumar Tirpude, Ph.D. student at the University of Delaware

Embracing Open Science with FAIR Publishing

In addition to the advanced research methods, FROGS participants were taught best practices for FAIR science publishing. Through hands-on sessions, they learned techniques for data versioning, managing metadata, using open data repositories, and applying appropriate licensing. These skills enhance reproducibility and collaboration, ensuring data and findings are easily shared, accessed, and usable by others in the scientific community.

“I am currently drafting my first paper, so I particularly appreciated the FAIR publishing aspect. Learning about versioning datasets, code, and workflows has been instrumental for my research.” - Kathryn Chen, biological oceanographer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Building a Collaborative Future

The workshop not only equipped participants with new technical skills but also fostered a sense of community and collaboration. The interdisciplinary nature of the event brought fresh perspectives to geoscientific challenges, inspiring innovative approaches and potential collaborations.

“This program covered a wide range of topics from publishing to data analytics, all crucial for my research on how climate change impacts hydrology and water resources. The skills and insights gained here will be invaluable in both my classroom teachings and research endeavors.” - Venkataramana Sridhar, faculty member from Virginia Tech

The commitment to open science and reproducibility promises to drive forward the quality and impact of future geoscientific research. As these researchers return to their respective sub-fields equipped with new capabilities in open-source programming and FAIR principles, the hope is that the effects of this workshop will influence the broader geoscience community.