The first and primary recommendation of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility Data Publishing Framework Task Group suggests that all data relevant to the understanding of biodiversity and to biodiversity conservation should be made freely, openly and effectively available.
A data publishing framework is defined as an environment conducive to ensuring free and open access to the world's primary biodiversity data.
15 December 2011: The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) has developed a new biodiversity data publishing framework to encourage and facilitate the sharing of biodiversity data. The first and primary recommendation suggests that all data relevant to the understanding of biodiversity and to biodiversity conservation should be made freely, openly and effectively available.
The authors define a data publishing framework as an environment conducive to ensuring free and open access to the world’s primary biodiversity data. The 24 recommendations of the GBIF Data Publishing Framework Task Group are included in a special supplement of BMC Bioinformatics.
Some of the measures proposed by the task group have already been taken up by GBIF and others, including the publication of data papers to bring academic recognition to those publishing metadata to describe datasets. Other measures include services to monitor and publish use of data in a Data Usage Index, and a mechanism to ensure that all those involved in collecting, adding value to and publishing data are acknowledged in a single citation.
The authors of the framework conclude that implementation of the recommendations will “expedite the progress of archiving, curation, discovery and publishing of primary biodiversity data, because scientists and originators of data will realize the value and incentives for such efforts.” [GBIF News Release]