Advancing FAIR Data Practices in DS-I Africa Projects
Health Research Foundation Cameroon proudly participated in the eLwazi ODSP 2024 Data Jamboree, held from August 26th to 30th in Cape Town, South Africa. This landmark event focused on improving the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (FAIR) of datasets generated by the DS-I Africa research projects. The Jamboree played a crucial role in enhancing data management practices across the continent, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that research data is more accessible and usable for future endeavors.
Enhancing Data Accessibility and Usability
The 2024 Data Jamboree, organized by the eLwazi Open Data Science Platform (ODSP) in partnership with the Data Management and Analysis Cores (DMACs) of DS-I Africa, brought together experts from across Africa to focus on the discoverability and accessibility of vital research data. Representing Health Research Foundation Cameroon, Yunkavi Sabastian Wirisiy, a Research Software Engineer, contributed to this significant effort, with participation endorsed by the Founder, Dr. Maboh Michel, and Co-Founder Dr. Aminkeng Leke, the Principal Investigator of the CHD AI project under the DS-I Africa research initiative. This event was pivotal in advancing the foundation’s commitment to improving health research data practices.
During the Jamboree, participants engaged in various activities critical to the success of the DS-I Africa projects. These included metadata enhancement, where gaps in data description were addressed, and dataset mapping to relevant ontologies, ensuring that the data could be effectively reused and integrated into broader research frameworks. Another key focus was on data harmonization, which aimed at standardizing datasets across different projects to facilitate better comparisons and combined analyses.
Organizers and Their Vision
The eLwazi ODSP 2024 Data Jamboree was meticulously organized by a team of seasoned professionals committed to advancing data science and management in Africa. The organizing committee included Tshinakaho Malesa, Wei Kheng Teh, Lyndon Zass, Katherine Johnstone, Tony Burdett, Sumir Panji, and Nicola Mulder. Their collective expertise and dedication were instrumental in the success of the event.
eLwazi ODSP, the primary organizer, is a leading platform dedicated to promoting open data science practices across Africa. By focusing on data management and analysis, eLwazi ODSP aims to empower African researchers with the tools and knowledge needed to handle large datasets effectively, thereby enhancing the impact of research on public health and other critical sectors.
The collaboration with DS-I Africa, a network of research hubs focused on addressing health challenges across the continent, underscores the importance of such initiatives in driving scientific progress. DS-I Africa’s commitment to fostering data-driven research aligns with eLwazi ODSP’s vision of making data more FAIR, ultimately benefiting the broader research community and the populations they serve.
Collaborative Learning and Impact
Health Research Foundation Cameroon’s involvement in the Jamboree was a testament to its dedication to advancing scientific research in Africa. The foundation, under the leadership of Dr. Maboh Michel and Dr. Aminkeng Leke, played a vital role in ensuring that the datasets generated by DS-I Africa projects are not only well-managed but also accessible and usable for future research. The foundation’s contributions included conducting thorough FAIR assessments of project data, implementing FAIR Cookbook recipes, and effectively mapping datasets to various ontologies, including the Data Use Ontology.
These efforts are crucial in ensuring that the data generated by DS-I Africa projects can be easily discovered, accessed, and reused by researchers across the continent and beyond. By participating in this Jamboree, Health Research Foundation Cameroon is taking significant steps toward improving the accessibility and usability of research data, contributing to more effective data-driven decision-making in health research.
Supporting the Advancement of Research in Africa
While still in the early stages of its journey, Health Research Foundation Cameroon is committed to playing a key role in improving the accessibility and usability of research data. Through its involvement in initiatives like the eLwazi ODSP 2024 Data Jamboree, HRF is working to build a stronger foundation for data management and sharing across Africa. By aligning with eLwazi ODSP and DS-I Africa, HRF is helping to create a more robust and interconnected research environment that will benefit not only Africa but the global research community.