EOSC-LIFE WP4 TOOLBOX: Toolbox for sharing of sensitive data -- a concept description

TL;DR

This paper describes the development of a toolbox within the EOSC-Life project to facilitate sharing sensitive biological and medical data by providing resources, recommendations, and categorization tools for researchers in a cloud environment.

Contribution

It introduces a conceptual framework for a resource toolbox that aids researchers in sharing sensitive data across European research infrastructures, emphasizing categorization and existing resource linking.

Findings

Design outline for the toolbox and its categorization system

Identification of relevant resources and best practices for sensitive data sharing

Framework for sustainable and standardized data sharing support

Abstract

The Horizon 2020 project EOSC-Life brings together the 13 Life Science 'ESFRI' research infrastructures to create an open, digital and collaborative space for biological and medical research. Sharing sensitive data is a specific challenge within EOSC-Life. For that reason, a toolbox is being developed, providing information to researchers who wish to share and/or use sensitive data in a cloud environment in general, and the European Open Science Cloud in particular. The sensitivity of the data may arise from its personal nature but can also be caused by intellectual property considerations, biohazard concerns, or the Nagoya protocol. The toolbox will not create new content, instead, it will allow researchers to find existing resources that are relevant for sharing sensitive data across all participating research infrastructures (F in FAIR). The toolbox will provide links to recommendations, procedures, and best practices, as well as to software (tools) to support data sharing and reuse. It will be based upon a tagging (categorisation) system, allowing consistent labelling and categorisation of resources. The current design document provides an outline for the anticipated toolbox, as well as its basic principles regarding content and sustainability.