Guiding Principles

The DataLab is a collaborative platform for open science. The target user includes not only ZMT staff, but also our partners in the tropics. This implies a large degree of inter-cultural learning and interaction.

This document outlines some guiding principles for the organization of shared digital working in the lab.

Open Science

The DataLab is intended to be a vehicle for practicing Open Science. A move towards Open Science involves (re)considering a large number of aspects in the way we work. We place special emphasis on the Open Data goal, meaning that all projects hosted on the DataLab should implement a data management plan that involves depositing both raw and derived data assets in openly access data repositories.

https://www.fosteropenscience.eu/themes/fosterstrap/images/taxonomies/os_taxonomy.png

Inclusivity

A shared space for learning and working requires a deeper consideration of others. In the DataLab, we consider inclusive design principles in setting up shared working spaces. Specifically, we try to establish:

  • equality of access and control to both ZMT and non-ZMT users in the lab

  • support for multiple languages in the user space in the Science Desktop

  • an open mind to other aspects we should consider

We recognize that a first_name.last_name format for the lab username is not the most inclusive design choice, but was necessary due to legacy and technical constraints. However, we do seek to properly represent your name in the lab services where possible. Let us know if your name is not correctly represented.