Latest News

Jul 2017. SESAR version 7.0.0 is released, which includes many new features and improvements. Some highlights:
 

• Users may now update sample metadata for existing samples in bulk by uploading a batch template, a method that is very similar to the initial batch registration mechanism. Check out this tutorial about the new functionality.
• Users can now assign IGSNs of up to 32 characters in length (A-Z, 0-9, '-', '.'). The new syntax follows recommendations of the IGSN e.V. at http://igsn.github.io/syntax/. The extended syntax is primarily intended for use by large repositories, where it may be necessary to use hierarchical syntax conventions. However, in consideration of human readability as well as the fact that the IGSN will appear on-line and in print, the IGSN e.V. recommends that the IGSN should be as concise as possible. If you are considering assigning IGSNs to your samples that are longer than 9 characters, please contact info@geosamples.org to discuss.
• Users can now specify Elevation Unit when registering samples (must be either feet, meters, miles, or kilometers).

Read all of the improvements at the SESAR Release Notes page.
 

If you have any questions or comments about the new features, please contact info@geosamples.org.

May 2017. Copernicus Publications, publisher of nearly 40 peer-reviewed open-access scientific journals, now encourages the use of the International Geo Sample Number (IGSN) in articles to promote reproducibility of scientific research. Copernicus allows authors to connect their publications with related "assets", such as other research data, model code, videos, and now physical samples via the IGSN. Authors are encouraged to include IGSNs for any physical samples in manuscript text, as well as cite the IGSN in the reference list and include a statement about sample availability. To learn more, see the Copernicus news release or the Copernicus Manuscript Preparation Guidelines for Authors (sample availability section).

Jan 2016. In an EOS article published on Jan 7, 2016, Brooks Hanson, Director of AGU Publications, strongly encourages the use of the International GeoSample Number (IGSN) in journal papers. Hanson recognizes that including IGSNs in publications provides provenance information to readers, and more importantly links analyses of the same sample across the literature, ultimately fostering greater discovery.

The recommendations to use the IGSN to uniquely identify samples is part of a broader effort to incorporate open community identifiers, including ORCIDs (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) for authors and Fundref IDs for funders into publications. AGU Publications acknowledges that the use of these identifiers will simplify the manuscript submission and review process in the future. To read the full article, click here.
 
AGU Publications is just one of 36 signatories of the Statement of Commitment from Earth and Space Science Publishers and Data Facilities, which includes a commitment to, "promote the use of relevant community permanent identifiers for samples (IGSN), researchers (ORCID), and funders and grants (FundRef)."
 
Hanson, B. (2016), AGU opens its journals to author identifiers, Eos, 97, doi:10.1029/2016EO043183. Published on 7 January 2016.

• learn about these organizations and how they support digital and physical sample management, sample citation in publications, developing a global sample catalog, and more
• tell us about the challenges you encounter with your sample collections, their curation, documentation, and preservation.
• engage in the iSamples RCN,
• find out how to become a user of the IGSN or member of the IGSN e.V.,
• check out tools that SESAR offers to help you manage your samples.

Please let us know if you are planning to attend (RSVP by email to mcarter@ldeo.columbia.edu) or simply stop by. Refreshments will be available.

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Learn more about the organizers:

Aug 2015. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History recently registered nearly 350,000 samples with IGSNs in SESAR, including specimens from the National Gem, National Mineral, and National Rock Collections. The inclusion of these samples in SESAR greatly enhances the discoverability of these valuable collections*. Furthermore, since data exists for many of these samples in PetDB, the IGSNs can now be added and used to link samples to analyses in different publications regardless of sample naming conventions of individual authors. Click here to view an example sample profile in SESAR, including a link to the Smithsonian Collections web pages. To view all samples, search the catalog for samples beginning with the namespace 'NHB'.

These registrations took advantage of the SESAR Web Services, which are documented here.

*Please note that the use of IGSNs in publications, alone, does not fulfill the Smithsonian loan policy stating that samples must be referenced by museum catalog numbers. Authors should include both museum catalog numbers and IGSNs.

Jul 2015. SESAR version 6.3 is released, which includes many new features and improvements. Some highlights:

• You can now set the metadata for your profiles to public or private in your MySESAR Sample list. Just check or uncheck the checkbox at the far right to hide or reveal the metadata of your sample to the public.
• UTM Zones now accept the more popular syntax of using zones A-Z instead of just N and S. We found that most users employed the A-Z syntax.
• The web services have many improvements due to user requests. These include IGSN return by a map polygon, IGSN return by the field program or cruise, JSON format support of sample profiles, and the return of a tree structure showing parent, sibling, and child related samples. Read more about the SESAR web services API.

Read all of the improvements at the SESAR Release Notes page. 

If you have any questions or comments about the new features, contact info@geosamples.org.