If so, Scientific Data can help. It’s a new type of open access journal publishing a new type of content, the Data Descriptor, designed to provide detailed descriptions of datasets: focusing on how these have been produced, by whom, and how they could be reused. We aim to make your data more discoverable, interpretable and reusable. We are calling for submissions now and launching in May next year. Read more
We recently released two sample Data Descriptors to help prospective authors interested in submitting manuscripts to Scientific Data. These samples were created to help scientists understand our unique scope and formatting requirements, and to illustrate the value of detailed descriptions of valuable datasets. Over the coming weeks we will be releasing more detailed information for authors, including Data Descriptor templates, to help prepare scientists for our call for submissions at the end of September. Read more
Scientific Data will be a forum for publications about datasets, but will not be a repository for primary datasets. Primary data associated with Data Descriptors will be stored in one or more external data repositories. Why this distinction? Read more
You suspect that the data you need is out there, but how do you find it? And if you find it, has it been described well enough for you to actually use it? Read more
Here at Scientific Data, we are busy developing guidelines for our future peer reviewers. We believe strongly in the role that peer evaluation plays in the scientific process, and hope that Scientific Data will set a new standard for critical and constructive peer evaluation at a data-focused publication. Authors will be expected to convince referees that the data is worthy of wider use in the scientific community by supporting the technical rigor of the data collection procedures, the completeness of the data and its description, and alignment with existing community standards. Referees will be asked to consider these points in detail, and will be free to request additional experiments when needed to support the data. Read more
Interested in getting involved with Scientific Data? Can you act as a representative for data standards, repositories, or resources within your scientific field? Find out how you can join the Scientific Data community.