JoDaKISS – A new data and software overlay journal

We present JoDaKISS, a new data overlay journal for simulation science. „Data“ comprises all data that arise in scientific workflows: input and output datasets, source code for research software, reproducibility datasets for classical journal and conference publications or theses, etc.
JoDaKISS has been founded based on the following observations: While existing disciplinary or overarching repositories for software and data are already a valuable step towards FAIRness, conventional journals and conferences in simulation science often lack structured quality control for them. This affects reproducibility of computer experiments, reusability of datasets in different contexts, and also findability, since not all common repositories provide unique identifiers. Also, many commercial publishers have shown reluctance to include data underlying the publication of novel findings in their review process (with noteworthy exceptions in some disciplines!).
The new overlay journal closes this gap: Researchers continue to publish datasets and software in their (disciplinary) repositories, and in addition, submit a so-called data or software descriptor to JoDaKISS. This descriptor essentially comprises all metadata needed for the FAIRness of the dataset. All submissions then undergo a rigorous review and quality assurance, focusing on adherence to best practices, scientific standards in the respective discipline, FAIRness and scientific originality of the data. Upon acceptance, the descriptor receives a DOI, making the dataset or software release fully citable. JoDaKISS follows a strict Open Access policy.

More information on JoDaKISS can be found at https://jodakiss.episciences.org/

The poster describes the aims and scope of the journal, as well as the underlying workflows and measures for quality assurance. In the poster discussions, we search for input from the RSE community on possible improvements to our software descriptors.