Minimum information about databases: BioDBCore

Following the first BioSharing meeting, Pascale Gaudet, current
Chairperson of the International Society for BioCuration, took forward
an idea to create a minimum information standard to describe
databases. After initially discussing this idea with Amos Bairoch,
Dawn Field and Susanna Sansone, this idea was taken forward at the
community level by engaging a range of thought leaders in the field.
This 'minimum information' specification is now called BioDBCore and
has been described in the first instance in a pair of editorials

published in NAR and the Database journals (Gaudet et al, 2010).

The main website for the BioDBCore project is hosted by the ISB (http://biocurator.org/biodbcore.shtml).

The BioDBCore checklist is overseen by the International Society for
Biocuration (ISB) (http://biocurator.org/), in collaboration with the
BioSharing forum [http://www.biosharing.org/).

Towards BioDBcore: a community-defined information specification for
biological databases.
Gaudet P, Bairoch A, Field D, Sansone SA, Taylor C, Attwood TK,
Bateman A, Blake JA, Bult CJ, Cherry JM, Chisholm RL, Cochrane G, Cook
CE, Eppig JT, Galperin MY, Gentleman R, Goble CA, Gojobori T, Hancock
JM, Howe DG, Imanishi T, Kelso J, Landsman D, Lewis SE, Karsch
Mizrachi I, Orchard S, Ouellette BF, Ranganathan S, Richardson L,
Rocca-Serra P, Schofield PN, Smedley D, Southan C, Tan TW, Tatusova T,
Whetzel PL, White O, Yamasaki C; on behalf of the BioDBCore working
group.

Gaudet et al, 2010 NAR (http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2010/11/17/nar.gkq1173.abstract)

Gaudet et al, 2010 Database (http://database.oxfordjournals.org/content/2011/baq027)

The goals of the proposed BioDBCore checklist are given below:

Gather the necessary information to provide a general overview of the
database landscape, and compare and contrast the various resources.

Encourage consistency and interoperability between resources.

Promote the uptake and use of semantic and syntactic standards.

Provide guidance for users when evaluating the scope and relevance of
a resource, as well as details of the data access methods supported.

Ensure that the collective impact of these resources is maximized.

The BioDBCore working group is open to all interested parties. Please contact the ISB at intsocbio@gmail.com for more information.