Introduction
RDA Working Groups (WGs) should tangibly accelerate progress in concrete ways for specific communities with the overarching goal of increasing data-driven innovation. Efforts are intended to promote data sharing and exchange, interoperability, data use and re-use, data discoverability and analysis, data stewardship and preservation, and best practice for substantive communities.
Although specific outcomes will vary, all WGs need to develop a Recommendation and should strive for “focused effort and tangible progress.”
- “Harvestable” efforts for which roughly 12-18 months of work can eliminate a roadblock for a substantial community focused on innovation.
- Efforts that have substantive applicability to particular segments of the data community, but may not apply to everyone.
- Efforts where working scientists and researchers can start today to get something done now, while more long-term or far-reaching solutions are being appropriately discussed through other vehicles.
In addition to the shorter-term, outcome-oriented focus of the RDA Working Groups described herein, critical longer-term R&D efforts, supported by Government sponsors, the Private Sector, and others, must continue to promote innovation and discovery. The RDA Working Group process is meant to complement those efforts in the short-term.
Joining a Working Group
You can find a list of the current RDA Working Groups here. Any member of the RDA can join a Working Group by navigating to the group's page and selecting "Join group" in the box on the right-hand side of the group's page.
Creating a Working Group
Working Groups (WGs) require more commitment than Interest Groups. Working Groups develop Case Statements that describe the Recommendation that the group will produce. Other key parts of the Case Statement include a value proposition, work plan and adoption plan. Case Statements are then reviewed by the RDA Community, Technical Advisory Board (TAB), from a technical perspective, and Council, from a strategic perspective. Review criteria include:
- Fit with the overall RDA vision and mission
- International membership spanning, ideally, three or more continents
- 2-4 co-chairs leading the initiative
- Measurable outcomes
- Outcomes will foster data sharing and/or exchange, and be taken up by the intended community
- Proposed work, outcomes /deliverables, and Action Plan described in the Case Statement can be accomplished in 12-18 months
- Appropriate scope of the WG
- The effort adds value over and above what is currently being done within the community.
You can find more information on the required components and review criteria relevant to a Case Statement on the Case Statement page.
Candidate WGs should contact enquiries [at] rd-alliance.org about their intent to develop an RDA Working Group Case Statement. A Secretariat liaison will then help the group throughout the life of the WG.
The process for setting up an RDA Working Group is as follows (see also Figure 1):
- The WG develops their Case Statement describing the Working Group’s beneficiaries, goals, outcomes, and operational approach. The WG chair(s) creates a new Case Statement, if there is already an RDA Organic Group for the group, or creates a new Working Group via the “Initiate new group” tab in the “Creating and Managing RDA Groups” menu (you must be logged in to do this, and the Secretariat moderates the creation of new groups), adds the Case Statement to this group and notifies the Secretariat at enquiries[at]rd-alliance.org. (The Secretariat is happy to help with this step, please email enquiries[at]rd-alliance.org if you would like assistance).
- The Secretariat publishes the Case Statement in the RfC box on the RDA Homepage and notifies the TAB, Council, and the broader community that the document has been posted and is now ready for community review. The community will be given at least four weeks to review and comment on the document. If there have been significant comments during the community review, the WG is expected to post a revised Case Statement, based on these comments.
- In parallel to the Community Review phase, TAB starts to review the Case Statement. This is expected to take 4-6 weeks. TAB will come to one of the three following conclusions: After TAB has accepted the Case Statement, TAB will designate a TAB member as liaison to the group.
- The Case Statement is sufficient. TAB has accepted the Case Statement, and it will be forwarded on to Council for the final step of the review process.
- The Case Statement requires revision. TAB will communicate the required changes to the group chairs. Once these changes have been made, the Case Statement will be deemed sufficient by TAB.
- The Case Statement is rejected. TAB will communicate the reasons for this decision to the group chairs.
- After TAB has accepted the Case Statement, Council will review it. This is expected to take about 2 weeks. Council will make one of four possible decisions about the Case Statement:
- Recognized and endorsed as is: Strong Case Statement. Group is recognized as RDA WG and should commence its work.
- Recognized and endorsed subject to specific revisions: Worthwhile idea, changes need to be made to strengthen the Case Statement and meet approval criteria. After the approach has been modified, the group will be recognized by RDA and commence its work.
- Encouraged but not presently endorsed: Good idea but needs refinement. The group needs to mature its concept and refine its Case Statement for approval. Council and/or TAB will provide specific feedback and clarification on what is needed.
- Not endorsed: The idea is not a good fit for the RDA or does not meet other criteria for approval. Council will provide specific feedback and clarification. Council may feel that the group may be more appropriate as discussion-oriented Interest Groups, from which specific outcome-oriented Working Group ideas and Case Statement submissions may arise later
- If Council perceives reasonable community consistence and clear needs, deliverables, and beneficiaries, they formally recognize the group.
Figure 1: WG Case Statement Review Process - from Case Statement Developmet to Endorsement
Working Group Outputs
Working Groups should deliver their Recommendation after 12-18 months, and can also develop other outputs along the way. For more information on what WG Outputs look like, please refer to the Working Group Outputs page.
The outputs of recognized Working Groups, especially their Recommendations, are strongly promoted by Council, the OAB, the TAB, the Secretariat, and the RDA Membership at large. We work hard to encourage research agencies, industry, and academia to adopt the products of RDA Working Groups.
Closing out a Working Group
After a Working group has delivered its Recommendation, and incorporated any changes coming out of the community review phase, the group will need to choose one of the following options:
a) The Working Group finishes and disbands, and is now listed under "Historical Groups". The group is expected prior to disbanding to ensure its Recommendation(s) will be dealt with as per its maintenance plan. This might involve passing responsibility to a specific organisation or another WG/IG.
b) The Working Group becomes a Maintenance Group, with the purpose of managing the maintenance activities and supporting the adopters of the original Recommendation. Maintenance Groups can disseminate, make minor revisions to, and update adopter details and stories of, endorsed Recommendations and Outputs produced before the WG's transition to a Maintenance group. Further Outputs or proposed new activities should be generated through new Working or Interest groups. If a WG decides to become a Maintenance Group, there is no review; the WG simply informs the RDA Secretariat that it wishes to become a Maintenance Group.
c) The Working Group starts a new WG to produce a new version or significant update of the recommendation, or to tackle additional work to e.g. cover more use cases. In this case, there is a light-weight review consisting of a community review, the OAB is invited to comment, and finally there are quick yes/no decisions by TAB and Council.
d) The Working Group starts a new IG to serve as a platform for communication and coordination around the WG's topic. In this case, the review also consists of a community review, the OAB is invited to comment, and finally there are quick yes/no decisions by TAB and Council.
Withdrawing a Working Group
If you, as co-chair of a WG, and your fellow co-chairs want to withdraw the WG prior to delivering the WG's Final Recommendation, please email the RDA Secretariat at enquiries[at]rd-alliance[dot]org and state the reasons for wanting the group to be closed. The Secretariat will then contact you about the next steps.
For more information, please refer to: