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Vol.
25 No. 2
March-April 2003
IUPAC
Wire |
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News
and information on IUPAC, its fellows, and members organizations
See also www.iupac.org/news |
Freedom
of Access to Primary Experimental Data
For
science to progress it is critical that research results are
disseminated as widely as possible, and in particular that
primary experimental data are freely available in perpetuity.
In 1998, as a result of concern amongst the scientific community
over this issue, the International Council for Science (ICSU)
set up an Inter-Union Bioinformatics Group (IUBG) to consider
this and related matters, with particular emphasis on bioinformatics.
The issue of free access is particularly relevant now in relation
to the availability of data from genomic and proteomic studies.
The
purpose of the group was defined as follows:
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to monitor worldwide developments in bioinformatics
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to take measures as required to ensure and facilitate inter-process
communication, such as standardization of data formats
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to act when the continuity or reliability of key informatics
providers is endangered
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to act when the free access to data in the public domain
is endangered
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to catalyze actions by the appropriate authorities in areas
of the world where Internet access to servers and data providers
is technically inadequate
- to
organize relevant educational activities
IUBG
released a report in May 2002, endorsed by ICSU in September
2002, covering many of the above topics. It is available at
<md.chem.rug.nl/
~berends/IUBG-FinalReport.html>. The report
contains a number of statements and recommendations aimed
at international unions, scientific societies, funding agencies,
legislators, for profit organizations, publishers and authors,
committees for nomenclature and standardization, and educational
institutions.
Please
direct questions or comments to Alan McNaught <[email protected]>,
IUPAC representative on the IUBG.
www.iupac.org/news/archives/2002/IUBG-report.html
Page
last modified 6 March 2003.
Copyright © 2002-2003 International Union of Pure and
Applied Chemistry.
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