What is SODA?
SODA (Software to Organize Data Automatically) is a cross-platform desktop application that helps researchers easily prepare and share FAIR peripheral nervous system (PNS) related data and models using the SPARC Dataset Structure (SDS). With SODA, you can organize your data and submit it to the SPARC Data Portal or a general repository like Zenodo.
SODA was originally created for NIH SPARC-funded research, but since January 2023, anyone can use SODA to share relevant datasets on the SPARC Data Portal, as it is now an open repository.
What is FAIR data?
FAIR data is data that is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). These principles aim to enhance the ability of machines and humans to discover and use data effectively. The FAIR principles encourage the use of standardized formats, metadata, and protocols to ensure that data can be easily found and integrated into various applications and workflows. There is not one size fits all approach for FAIR data. The exact standards vary based on research fields and data types. As such, guidelines are being developed by various research organizations and groups.
What is the SDS and the general SPARC curation guidelines?
The SPARC Dataset curation and sharing guidelines have been developed to make peripheral nervous system and similar data and computational models FAIR. They consist of curating data following the SPARC Dataset Structure (SDS) and sharing them openly on the SPARC Data Portal or a generalist repository such as Zenodo. More details about the SDS and submiting and the SPARC curation and sharing guidelines can be found in the associated documentation here.
The SDS is one part of the new NIH Data Sharing Policy. Effective since January 25th, 2023, is intended to enforce the sharing of scientific data in order to "accelerate biomedical research discovery, in part, by enabling validation of research results, providing accessibility to high-value datasets, and promoting data reuse for future research studies". You can learn more about SPARC here and its role in the NIH Data Sharing Policy here.
Since January 2023, the SPARC Data Portal has become an open repository, meaning that any relevant datasets (bioelectronic, neurophysiology, and other similar data and computational models) can be published on the SPARC Data Portal irrespective of the funding source. With help from SODA and the SPARC Curation Team, this is an excellent way to easily comply with the new NIH Data Sharing Policy and enable future reuse of your data!
How does SODA help you follow the SDS?
SODA helps you organize and share SPARC Dataset Structure (SDS) compliant datasets via user-friendly interfaces intended to help in guiding you through the complicated parts of the SDS. After helping you organize your SDS compliant dataset SODA will also help you share it to the SPARC Portal or to a generalist repository, such as Zenodo.
SODA is developed by the team from the FAIR Data Innovations Hub at the California Medical Innovations Institute. You can find out more about us on our website at fairdataihub.org.
Ready to share your data?
Get started with our step-by-step guide!