The BioSharing Registry: mapping the landscape of standards and databases resources in the life sciences

<p>BioSharing (http://www.biosharing.org) is a curated, web-based, searchable portal of three linked registries of content standards, databases and data policies in the life sciences, broadly encompassing the biological, natural and biomedical sciences. Our records are informative and discoverable, maximizing standards adoption and (re)use (e.g. in data policies), and allowing the monitoring of their maturity and evolution (Tenenbaum, Sansone, Haendel; Am Med Inform Assoc, 2014).</p> <p>With over 1,300 records, BioSharing content can be searched using simple or advanced searches, filtered via a filtering matrix, or grouped via the ‘Collection’ feature, according to field of interest or focus. Examples are the NPG Scientific Data and BioMedCentral Collections, collating and linking the recommended standards and repositories from their Data Policy for author. Similarly other publishers, projects and organizations are creating Collections by selecting and filtering standards and databases relevant to their work, such as the BD2K bioCADDIE project. As a community effort, BioSharing offers users the ability to ‘claim’ records, allowing their update. Each claimant also has a user profile that can be linked to their resources, publications and ORCID ID, thus providing visibility for them as an individual.<br>Launched in 2011 as an extension and evolution of the MIBBI portal (founded by the same Operational Team, led by Sansone), BioSharing is working with a growing number of journals and other registries; it is also part of ELIXIR-UK Node and contributing to the NIH BD2K CEDAR. Driven by an international Advisory Board (co-chaired by Tenenbaum, Haendel) the BioSharing userbase has grown by 40% over the last year, thanks to successful engagement with researchers, publishers, librarians, developers and other stakeholders via several routes, including a joint RDA/Force11 working group (co-chaired by Lawrence and Hodson) and a collaboration with the International Biocuration Society.</p> <p>