Release of version 0.7.0 of the GHGA Metadata Model

In April 2022 we released version 0.7.0 of the GHGA Metadata Model, which contains a refined metadata structure of the GHGA metadata schema. Additionally we released the GHGA Submission Spreadsheet version 0.7.0 that provides a structured way to deposit non-personal metadata in the GHGA Metadata Catalogue.

The Metadata Workstream develops the model for the data to be stored in GHGA. It is a joint effort of the conceptual and technical workstreams of GHGA. The team is composed of expertise from different fields such as database technologies, legal frameworks, community standards and FAIR data principles, that collectively define the concept of GHGA Metadata. 

The GHGA Metadata model was publicly released within GHGAs GitHub repository. The current version of the model is a further development of our metadata model released back in December 2021. 

Further evaluation of essential information, such as donors of specimens, experiments and the analysis of data, will further increase the reusability of data deposited at GHGA. The current release focuses on structural integrity to reflect specific use cases e.g. of single cell sequencing data. Additionally, we worked together with the ELSI workstream at GHGA to ensure data showcased on the GHGA Metadata Catalogue is publicly share- and displayable. This also enables the UI/UX workstream to develop the showcase of datasets deposited at GHGA in the data portal. A tight collaboration between both workstreams ensures displaying of relevant information, to support data requesters in identifying datasets for their research needs.

Alongside the implementation we also published the Submission Spreadsheet for the first time. This spreadsheet encompasses all metadata that is mandatory to be submitted to GHGA. Different categories, such as Core, Sample, Experiment, Analysis and File guide data submitters to submit their data in a structured way, so the GHGA data infrastructure can digest the submitted metadata. In a further iteration of the spreadsheet we will help submitters in doing so by providing “How To” guidelines.

This core model will further evolve in the near future. Additionally, the Metadata workstream starts planning for the Atlas and Cloud phase of GHGA, to accomodate the needs of various communities and use cases.