4 Steps to Publish Open Earth Science Samples

Material samples are foundational for research in the Earth sciences. Their value and the value of the data derived from them depend to a large extent on the way we describe, identify, and reference them in publications and datasets. Use of globally unique sample identifiers and availability of rich and consistent information (metadata) about a sample on the web are critical for making samples and sample data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. This informational sheet presents guidance and best practices for supporting open science for samples, developed by the Physical Sample Curation Cluster of the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) organization. The ESIP Physical Sample Curation Cluster is a forum for the community supporting physical samples in the earth, space, and environmental sciences. The working group consists of individual researchers who collect and work with physical samples, curators and collections managers, and cyberinfrastructure providers and developers.