New biodiversity data publishing framework proposed

"The 24 recommendations of the GBIF Data Publishing Framework Task Group are included in a special supplement of BMC Bioinformatics. Some of the measures proposed by the task group have already been taken up by GBIF and others, including the publication of 'data papers' to bring academic recognition to those publishing metadata to describe datasets. Others are in the pipeline, such as new services to monitor and publish use of data in a Data Usage Index, and a mechanism to ensure that all those involved in collecting, adding value to and publishing data are acknowledged in a single citation. Introducing the data publishing framework in the central paper of the supplement, Tom Moritz and co-authors write that the first recommendation is the primary one from which all the others follow: "All data relevant to the understanding of biodiversity and to biodiversity conservation should be made freely, openly and effectively available." ..."