FAIR WISH Software Tool: SAMIRA: FAIR SAMPLES Template Processing

Physical samples (or specimen or artefacts) represent the origin of research results in many scientific disciplines. Assigning persistent identifier (PID) to samples is a fundamental step to make them discoverable and traceable in unambiguous way over the Web. The International Generic Sample Number (IGSN) is a PID for physical samples and connecting these with their online description following a dedicated metadata schema.

Sample descriptions of samples are available in various formats and detail. In order to publish them in a standardized manner and to automate and standardize the preparation and processing, the software product SAMIRA (Sample IGSN Registration Automation) was created as part of the Project FAIR WISH, funded by the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC).

SAMIRA aims to automate the generation of Metadata XML-Files for the Registration of PIDs from different input sources (e.g. the FAIR Samples Template, Wiezcorek et al., 2023). This first version of SAMIRA implements the creation of IGSN metadata and Datacite metadata and the respective registration.

The first version of the code was developed in the framework of the FAIR WISH project. FAIR WISH is a joint project between the Helmholtz Centres GFZ, AWI and Hereon. It was was funded 2022-2023 by the Initiative and Networking Fund of the Helmholtz Association within the HMC Project Cohorte 2020 of the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration Platform HMC.