title: rBEFdata: documenting data exchange and analysis for a collaborative data management platform.
abstract: We are witnessing a growing gap separating primary research data from derived data products presented as knowledge in publications. Although journals today more often require the underlying data products used to derive the results as a prerequisite for a publication, the important link to the primary data is lost. However, documenting the postprocessing steps of data linking, the primary data with derived data products has the potential to increase the accuracy and the reproducibility of scientific findings significantly. Here, we introduce the rBEFdata R package as companion to the collaborative data management platform BEFdata. The R package provides programmatic access to features of the platform. It allows to search for data and integrates the search with external thesauri to improve the data discovery. It allows to download and import data and metadata into R for analysis. A batched download is available as well which works along a paper proposal mechanism implemented by BEFdata. This feature of BEFdata allows to group primary data and metadata and streamlines discussions and collaborations revolving around a certain research idea. The upload functionality of the R package in combination with the paper proposal mechanism of the portal allows to attach derived data products and scripts directly from R, thus addressing major aspects of documenting data postprocessing. We present the core features of the rBEFdata R package along an ecological analysis example and further discuss the potential of postprocessing documentation for data, linking primary data with derived data products and knowledge.
authors: Department of Special Botany and Functional Biodiversity, University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors: Claas-Thido
authors: CT
authors: Pfaff
authors: Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, 07743, Jena, Germany.
authors: Birgitta
authors: B
authors: König-Ries
authors: Department of Special Botany and Functional Biodiversity, University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors: Anne C
authors: AC
authors: Lang
authors: Department of Special Botany and Functional Biodiversity, University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors: Sophia
authors: S
authors: Ratcliffe
authors: Department of Special Botany and Functional Biodiversity, University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Wirth
authors: Department of Special Botany and Functional Biodiversity, University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors: Xingxing
authors: X
authors: Man
authors: Department of Special Botany and Functional Biodiversity, University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Nadrowski
keywords: Biodiversity ecosystem functioning; R; data postprocessing; data sharing; ecological metadata language; metadata; open science; open source; paper proposals; reproducible science; semantic integration; workflow