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UID:pretalx-foss4g-europe-2026-E9HEQB@talks.osgeo.org
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DESCRIPTION:The reproducibility and transparency of scientific research are
  fundamental prerequisites for building trust in knowledge production and 
 for addressing global challenges such as those outlined in the United Nati
 ons Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However\, many scientific public
 ations still lack the necessary information to reproduce results\, particu
 larly with regard to underlying software\, data\, and computational workfl
 ows. This situation\, commonly referred to as the replication crisis\, und
 ermines the reliability and sustainability of scientific practice (Baker\,
  2016).\n\nTo address these challenges\, the paradigms of Open Science and
  FAIR (Findable\, Accessible\, Interoperable\, Reusable) have emerged as g
 uiding frameworks. Open Science promotes transparency through open access 
 publications\, open data\, and open source software\, while the FAIR princ
 iples define minimum standards for the structured availability and reuse o
 f research outputs. A critical but often underrepresented component in thi
 s ecosystem is the proper citation and recognition of research software\, 
 including free and open source geospatial (FOSS4G) tools (Smith et al.\, 2
 016).\n\nThe Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) represents a mature
  ecosystem of approximately 50 open source geospatial software projects\, 
 supported by a global community. All OSGeo projects undergo a formal incub
 ation process\, ensuring adherence to best practices such as open licensin
 g\, publicly accessible repositories\, and transparent governance. These p
 ractices inherently support several FAIR principles\, particularly Findabi
 lity and Accessibility (Tzotsos et al.\, 2016). However\, gaps remain in l
 ong-term preservation\, persistent identification\, and formal recognition
  through standardized citation mechanisms.\n\nSoftware is commonly referen
 ced using URLs pointing to code repositories. While suitable for short-ter
 m access\, URLs lack long-term reliability\, as they may become invalid du
 e to infrastructure changes or resource removal. This creates challenges f
 or reproducibility\, as references in scientific publications may no longe
 r resolve to the original artifacts (Fenner et al.\, 2019).\n\nPersistent 
 Identifiers (PIDs)\, particularly Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)\, prov
 ide a robust solution. DOIs enable stable referencing of digital objects i
 ndependent of their location\, supported by infrastructures such as CrossR
 ef and DataCite. Platforms such as Zenodo\, operated by CERN and supported
  by the European Union\, facilitate DOI assignment for software and datase
 ts\, enabling long-term archiving and citation. The importance of software
  citation has been formalized by initiatives such as FORCE11\, which defin
 ed community principles for software citation (Smith et al.\, 2016)\, and 
 the Research Data Alliance\, which promotes global standards for data and 
 software interoperability.\n\nAn increasing number of OSGeo projects have 
 adopted DOI-based citation practices. Currently\, more than 20 projects pr
 ovide DOIs\, allowing both version-specific citation and project-level ref
 erencing. This development aligns with broader trends in geospatial resear
 ch\, where open source GIS has become a central component of scientific wo
 rkflows (Brovelli et al.\, 2020). However\, implementation depth and autom
 ation vary across projects\, and the scientific publishing ecosystem has n
 ot yet fully adapted to consistently support DOI-based software citation.\
 n\nA key challenge lies in the heterogeneity of publisher workflows. While
  some journals encourage or require DOI-based software citation\, the inte
 gration of these references into metadata systems such as CrossRef is not 
 always reliable. As a result\, even correctly implemented FAIR practices m
 ay fail to produce visible and citable references. This lack of transparen
 cy creates uncertainty for researchers\, developers\, and reviewers and ma
 y lead to what can be described as an “information catastrophe\,” wher
 e contributions remain effectively invisible within the scientific record 
 (Fenner et al.\, 2019).\n\nThe FAIR4G project (www.fair4g.org) addresses t
 his challenge by introducing a transparent\, data-driven approach to monit
 oring and documenting FAIR software citation practices in the open geospat
 ial domain. Launched in 2025 as a volunteer-driven initiative\, FAIR4G pro
 vides continuously updated analyses of DOI-based citations for OSGeo proje
 cts\, based on CrossRef metadata from scientific journals and books.\n\nTh
 e FAIR4G web portal serves as a centralized\, low-barrier information reso
 urce for stakeholders across the Open Science ecosystem. For each particip
 ating software project\, it offers tabular overviews of DOI-based citation
 s\, including publication date\, publication type\, publisher\, journal ti
 tle\, and the DOI of the citing work. Additional contextual information\, 
 such as links to project websites and Zenodo landing pages\, enhances tran
 sparency and usability.\n\nThese data provide significant added value for 
 multiple stakeholder groups. OSGeo projects can track the scientific reuse
  of their software across disciplines and optimize citation guidelines. In
 dividual contributors gain visibility into how their work is reused in sci
 entific and societal contexts. Researchers can identify journals that succ
 essfully implement FAIR software citation practices\, enabling more inform
 ed publication strategies. Publishers and journals can use FAIR4G data to 
 benchmark and improve their workflows\, supporting their transition toward
 s Open and FAIR practices.\n\nThe Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDA
 L) illustrates these dynamics. Since registering a DOI in 2022 and archivi
 ng releases via Zenodo\, GDAL has seen increasing adoption in both downloa
 ds and DOI-based citations. FAIR4G analyses show a steady growth in citati
 ons across a wide range of scientific disciplines\, highlighting the centr
 al role of open geospatial software in contemporary research.\n\nFAIR4G is
  an evolving project that aims to expand its analytical capabilities and d
 ata services. Planned developments include temporal and thematic analyses 
 of DOI adoption across publishers and journals\, as well as the provision 
 of FAIR-compliant\, machine-readable datasets. These efforts are intended 
 to foster dialogue among stakeholders and support the continuous improveme
 nt of standards and infrastructures for software citation.\n\nIn conclusio
 n\, FAIR4G addresses a critical gap at the intersection of Open Science\, 
 FAIR principles\, and open geospatial software. By increasing transparency
  and providing actionable insights into DOI-based software citation practi
 ces\, it supports reproducibility\, recognition\, and sustainability in sc
 ientific research. As such\, FAIR4G contributes both a practical tool and 
 a conceptual framework for strengthening the role of FOSS4G within a more 
 open and sustainable scientific ecosystem.
DTSTAMP:20260605T011141Z
LOCATION:A01
SUMMARY:FAIR4G: Advancing FAIR Software Citation and Transparency for Open 
 Geospatial Science - Peter Löwe
URL:https://talks.osgeo.org/foss4g-europe-2026/talk/E9HEQB/
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