FAIR principles in workflows: A GIScience workflow management system for reproducible and replicable studies

• Compile with Common Workflow Language (CWL) to ensure interoperable and reproducible scientific workflows. • Use Harvard Dataverse to share all workflow-related digital resources, enhancing the findability and accessibility of workflows. • Develop a FAIR-oriented GIScience WfMS to enhance reusability, reproducibility and replicability of GIScience research. Scientific workflow management systems (WfMS) provide a systematic way to streamline necessary processes in scientific research. The demand for FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) workflows is increasing in the scientific community, particularly in GIScience, where data is not just an output but an integral part of iterative advanced processes. Traditional WfMS often lack the capability to ensure geospatial data and process transparency, leading to challenges in reproducibility and replicability of research findings. This paper proposes the conceptualization and development of FAIR-oriented GIScience WfMS, aiming to incorporate the FAIR principles into the entire lifecycle of geospatial data processing and analysis. To enhance the findability and accessibility of workflows, the WfMS utilizes Harvard Dataverse to share all workflow-related digital resources, organized into workflow datasets, nodes, and case studies. Each resource is assigned a unique DOI (Digital Object Identifier), ensuring easy access and discovery. More importantly, the WfMS complies with the Common Workflow Language (CWL) standard to guarantee interoperability and reproducibility of workflows. It also enables the integration of diverse tools and software, supporting complex analyses that require multiple processing steps. This paper demonstrates the prototype of the GIScience WfMS and illustrates two geospatial science case studies, reflecting its flexibility in selecting appropriate techniques for various datasets and research goals. The user-friendly workflow designer makes it accessible to users with different levels of technical expertise, promoting reusable, reproducible, and replicable GIScience studies.

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Publication Details

Journal
International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation
Published
2025-03-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2025.104477
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Scientific Computing and Data Management
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
12.51
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article

FAIR principles in workflows: A GIScience workflow management system for reproducible and replicable studies

Samuel Cheng, Chengbin Deng, Taiping Liu, Tao Hu et al.
3 citations
International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation
Scientific Computing and Data Management
12.51
article

FAIR principles in workflows: A GIScience workflow management system for reproducible and replicable studies

Samuel Cheng, Chengbin Deng, Taiping Liu, Tao Hu, Venkat Sai Divyacharan Jarugumalli
article en
3 citations

Abstract

• Compile with Common Workflow Language (CWL) to ensure interoperable and reproducible scientific workflows. • Use Harvard Dataverse to share all workflow-related digital resources, enhancing the findability and accessibility of workflows. • Develop a FAIR-oriented GIScience WfMS to enhance reusability, reproducibility and replicability of GIScience research. Scientific workflow management systems (WfMS) provide a systematic way to streamline necessary processes in scientific research. The demand for FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) workflows is increasing in the scientific community, particularly in GIScience, where data is not just an output but an integral part of iterative advanced processes. Traditional WfMS often lack the capability to ensure geospatial data and process transparency, leading to challenges in reproducibility and replicability of research findings. This paper proposes the conceptualization and development of FAIR-oriented GIScience WfMS, aiming to incorporate the FAIR principles into the entire lifecycle of geospatial data processing and analysis. To enhance the findability and accessibility of workflows, the WfMS utilizes Harvard Dataverse to share all workflow-related digital resources, organized into workflow datasets, nodes, and case studies. Each resource is assigned a unique DOI (Digital Object Identifier), ensuring easy access and discovery. More importantly, the WfMS complies with the Common Workflow Language (CWL) standard to guarantee interoperability and reproducibility of workflows. It also enables the integration of diverse tools and software, supporting complex analyses that require multiple processing steps. This paper demonstrates the prototype of the GIScience WfMS and illustrates two geospatial science case studies, reflecting its flexibility in selecting appropriate techniques for various datasets and research goals. The user-friendly workflow designer makes it accessible to users with different levels of technical expertise, promoting reusable, reproducible, and replicable GIScience studies.

International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and GeoinformationVol. 138
Oklahoma State University (US), University of Oklahoma (US)
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Scientific Computing and Data Management
12.51
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