Governance & Data Property Rules
of the EpIG Consortium and EpIG-DB
Version 1.1, 2024.07.03
Approved: EpIG-DB Committee (2024.08.06, adapted mainly from sPlot guidelines, Splot, 2018)
Approved: EpIG-DB Committee (2024.08.06, adapted mainly from sPlot guidelines, Splot, 2018)
1. Objectives
The Epiphyte Inventory Group database (EpIG-DB) is a vascular epiphyte database currently restricted to the Neotropics, a comprehensive resource aiming to facilitate the understanding of vascular epiphytes by:
(i) eventually developing into a global epiphyte database,
(ii) offering vegetation tree- and plot-based sampling data combined with
(iii) a taxonomic backbone and
(iv) occurrence and
(v) trait data.
EpIG-DB was created by the Epiphyte Inventory Group (EpIG) in September 2018. The EpIG Committee was formalised in July 2024.
2. EpIG consortium
(a) Membership: The EpIG consortium includes (i) founder and (ii) newcomer members with equal rights and responsibilities; members only differ in whether they provide technical or analytical expertise and/or data. The current member list can be found on the EpIG website; we welcome all epiphyte researchers and those interested in promoting epiphyte research.
(b) Joining the consortium: New members can join the EpIG consortium by invitation from the EpIG Steering Committee or by writing to the EpIG-DB custodian ([email protected]) with an expression of interest. Requirements are that they (i.a) deliver (requested) data and/or (i.b) provide technical or analytical expertise and (ii.a) agree to the Rules. The Steering Committee may accept or decline applications.
(c) Collaboration: EpIG members promote and are open to collaboration on the research projects listed on the webpage; contact information can be found there.
3. EpIG Steering Committee (EpIG Committee)
(a) Role and Responsibilities: The Steering Committee oversees and upholds collaboration rules within EpiG and data usage of EpIG-DB.
(b) Composition: Volunteer EpIG members currently form the committee; it consists of a custodian, a deputy custodian, and four members (with at least two funding members). The custodian leads the committee and oversees operations, assisted by the deputy custodian and the other members.
4. Procedures of data contribution
(a) Potential data contributors must accept the rules declared here when submitting a proposal to join the EpIG-DB to the steering committee. When the proposal is accepted, the representative of the dataset becomes a member of the EpIG consortium.
(b) In the EpIG consortium, each dataset is represented by a single natural person or by a custodian (in the case of collaborative databases). A custodian is an authorised representative of multiple contributors with a collaborative dataset. In the case of collaborative datasets, EpIG will only interact with the custodians or, in exceptional cases, their deputies.
(c) All data contributed to the EpIG-DB remains the intellectual property of data contributors and may be withdrawn by them at any time. This possibility does not affect data already released (for past projects) or used in ongoing and to be used in future projects (i.e., if an agreement to provide data for a particular project has already been reached, the data cannot be withdrawn once released). Data may be withdrawn at any time before its release.
(d) For collaborative datasets, it is the custodian’s responsibility to solve intellectual property rights and authorship rules within the group of contributors before the data set is contributed to EpIG-DB, a confirmation of the resolution in writing is expected.
(e) Contributing data to EpIG does not affect the rights of individual dataset owners or custodians to use the data in parallel for other purposes. However, once data is contributed, other members of EpIG within the framework of a project may correct or improve the datasets. These improvements should be done in collaboration with the contributors, but become part of the collective resource of EpIG-DB. Because of interoperability, versions containing these changes may be returned to contributors if they wish to receive them for private use until the full release of EpIG-DB. EpIG expects that data updates and corrections made by any member in their own datasets will be sent to the EpIG committee upon completion to replace previous, outdated versions.
5. Procedures of data use
(a) Rights and responsibilities of members: All EpIG members have the right to propose analytical (or other) projects using data from EpIG-DB by submitting a proposal to the EpIG Steering Committee. The members and non-members involved in a proposal are responsible for using the data according to the EpIG-DB rules. The proposal must include: (i) the applicant’s name and email, (ii) the names of all intended co-authors (inside and outside the EpIG Consortium), (iii) a preliminary title, (iv) a brief description of aims and methods, (v) the estimated time of manuscript submission, (vi) a specification of the data needed, (vii) an explicit statement of agreement with these rules, and (viii) funding sources.
(b) Data usage preference: In the case that several proposals overlap in scientific aims, the Steering Committee will propose a solution. If one or more overlapping proposals need to be rejected, early-career members, particularly those from institutions from the Global South, will have preferential use of the data, especially if pursuing a degree or a post-doc. Furthermore, EpIG-DB favours proposals and researchers who are willing to provide constructive input on the quantity and quality of the database, thus aiding its continuous improvement.
(c) Restrictions on data sharing: Under no circumstances can data received via the EpIG Committee be circulated to other parties, including co-authors not listed in the proposal, or posted online on publicly accessible sites (including electronic supplements to publications). Exceptions are allowed for subsets of the data, provided that all contributing database owners have agreed to their publication, and for aggregated data that do not allow the extraction of individual data points. Publicly marked data, as indicated in the metadata (e.g., data from GBIF), can be freely shared and used as stipulated.
(d) Data openness and restrictions: Each EpIG-DB data provider will define restriction levels, from entirely open to fully restricted (as indicated in the metadata), which shall be respected. In all cases, the intended publication of subsets or aggregated data, or any data with specific restrictions, requires the approval of the EpIG Committee. Although data openness mainly depends on the level of restriction decided by each dataset provider, data of threatened groups, according to Carmona Higuita et al. (2024), will be automatically restricted to ensure ethical management and protection of sensitive information. The degree to which data can be made open is subject to discussion with the EpIG Committee. Dataset providers should periodically update their information and restriction levels upon request from the EpIG Steering Committee.
(b) Opt-in phase: All EpIG members who have contributed data have the right to join a project as active co-authors by completing the corresponding opt-in form. This opt-in phase will last for a fixed period of one month, with flexible extensions allowed only in exceptional circumstances.
(c) Project leader responsibilities: The project leader(s) is(are) responsible for transparently communicating and preparing a preliminary list of project participants within two weeks after the opt-in phase. Simultaneously, a summary of the intended research for publication on the EpIG website must also be provided.
(d) Proposal evaluation and approval: The EpIG-DB Committee will review each proposal to ensure: (i) the applicant is eligible according to the rules, (ii) there is a reasonable link between the aims, expected outputs, and requested data, (iii) there is no conflict with planned future or ongoing projects using EpIG-DB, and (iv) compliance with the rules. If approved, the project will be granted the requested data, and its title and lead author(s) will be published on the EpIG website. If there is no evidence of progress in a project within two years after its approval, the lead author must request a renewal; otherwise, the project and the right to use EpIG-DB will expire.
(e) Database or general diversity manuscripts exception: The only exception to the opt-in procedure applies to publications primarily focused on describing the content (diversity) of the EpIG-DB or providing an update (strictly “diversity” or "database papers"). Only in these cases all data owners/providers and custodians in the EpIG consortium who contributed data at the time of paper preparation become co-authors unless they disagree (opt-out option).
(f) Adherence to good scientific publication practices: EpIG adheres to established good practices in scientific publication. By opting in, researchers agree to provide substantial intellectual and/or data input and accept accountability for all aspects of the work, including resolving any issues related to the accuracy or integrity of the work.
(b) Resources and tools for effective collaboration: Researchers are encouraged to utilise collaborative tools and resources to facilitate open and reproducible research. Recommended tools include R Projects, RStudio, Git, and GitHub combined to collaborate and produce reproducible results which will aid in implementing reproducible computational work. Lead authors are encouraged to follow rules of fair research collaboration. To this end, the website of EpIG will be updated regularly with suggestions for tools and resources to optimise research networks, diversity and interpersonal skills.
(c) CRediT author statement and roles: The use of the CRediT author statement is encouraged to define and acknowledge the roles and contributions of all co-authors clearly. Lead authors must use this statement to ensure that all contributions are appropriately recognized and to facilitate transparency in authorship.
6. Authorship arrangements
(a) Intellectual Input: As a minimum requirement, the lead author(s) must circulate the first draft of the paper and the final manuscript at least three weeks before submission, considering more time during holiday or festivity periods. All preliminary co-authors must be invited to provide intellectual input at each stage to ensure adequate opportunity to review and provide feedback.
(b) Criteria for co-authorship: Opting-in does not automatically guarantee co-authorship, which is contingent on substantially contributing, as defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE, 2024). To qualify for co-authorship, individuals must meet at least two of the following criteria before submission of the manuscript:
(c) Appeal process: Co-authors who believe they have been unjustly excluded from authorship have the right to appeal this decision to the EpIG committee. The appeal should be based on evidence of substantial contributions according to the guidelines indicated above and the principles of inclusivity and fairness. Leading author(s) not following the right of EpIG members to co-authorship, as established here, will be cancelled as EpIG members, and their publications will be subjected to scientific ethical screening.
(d) Co-authorship for custodians: Custodians representing collaborative databases or datasets should manage co-authorship offers according to their internal rules, ensuring fair allocation of co-authorship opportunities based on the contribution of data used in the project, a confirmation of the resolution in writing is expected.
7. Statement of Consent
Officially submitting data by a data owner or a dataset custodian for inclusion in EpIG-DB to the EpIG committee is considered an implicit agreement to these Governance and Data Property Rules. This includes the agreement to have their data stored (name, affiliation, contact information) in the EpIG repository. This data will be used solely for EpIG internal management, stored for the duration of the membership, and managed in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR"). Members also agree to have their names published on the EpIG member list on the EpIG website.
8. Versions and Amendments of These Rules
A majority of the Steering Committee or Consortium members can suggest changes to the EpIG-DB Rules. Proposed modifications will be subjected to an electronic vote lasting one month. Changes will be accepted if they receive a simple majority of votes from participating members.
References:
- Carmona-Higuita, M.J., Mendieta-Leiva, G., Gómez-Díaz, J.A. et al. Conservation status of vascular epiphytes in the neotropics. Biodivers Conserv 33, 51–71 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-023-02730-8
- CRediT where credit’s due. (2024). www.elsevier.com. https://www.elsevier.com/connect/credit-where-credits-due
- Defining the role of authors and contributors. ICMJE. (2024). https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html
- sPlot – The Global Vegetation Database. Version 2.2, 2018.10.15. Document: Governance and Data Property Rules of the sPlot Consortium. Retrieved 07, 30, 2024 from https://www.idiv.de/fileadmin/content/Files_sPlot/Documents/sPlot_rules_V2.1_20181001_draft.pdf
- Zotz, G., P. Weigelt, M. Kessler, H. Kreft, and A. Taylor. 2021. EpiList 1.0: a global checklist of vascular epiphytes. Ecology 102(6):e03326. 10.1002/ecy.3309
Hietz, P., Wagner, K., Nunes Ramos, F., Cabral, J. S., Agudelo, C., Benavides, A. M., Cach-Pérez, M. J., Cardelús, C. L., Chilpa Galván, N., Erickson Nascimento da Costa, L., de Paula Oliveira, R., Einzmann, H. J. R., de Paiva Farias, R., Guzmán Jacob, V., Kattge, J., Kessler, M., Kirby, C., Kreft, H., Krömer, T., … Zotz, G. (2022). Putting vascular epiphytes on the traits map. Journal of Ecology, 110, 340–358.
- Hennekens, S. M. (2015). Turboveg v.3 - A gateway to EVA and other databases. In: Chytrý, M., Zelený, D. & Hettenbergerová, E. 58th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science: Understanding broad-scale vegetation patterns – Abstracts. Masaryk University (p. 152). CZ: Brno.
The Epiphyte Inventory Group database (EpIG-DB) is a vascular epiphyte database currently restricted to the Neotropics, a comprehensive resource aiming to facilitate the understanding of vascular epiphytes by:
(i) eventually developing into a global epiphyte database,
(ii) offering vegetation tree- and plot-based sampling data combined with
(iii) a taxonomic backbone and
(iv) occurrence and
(v) trait data.
EpIG-DB was created by the Epiphyte Inventory Group (EpIG) in September 2018. The EpIG Committee was formalised in July 2024.
2. EpIG consortium
(a) Membership: The EpIG consortium includes (i) founder and (ii) newcomer members with equal rights and responsibilities; members only differ in whether they provide technical or analytical expertise and/or data. The current member list can be found on the EpIG website; we welcome all epiphyte researchers and those interested in promoting epiphyte research.
(b) Joining the consortium: New members can join the EpIG consortium by invitation from the EpIG Steering Committee or by writing to the EpIG-DB custodian ([email protected]) with an expression of interest. Requirements are that they (i.a) deliver (requested) data and/or (i.b) provide technical or analytical expertise and (ii.a) agree to the Rules. The Steering Committee may accept or decline applications.
(c) Collaboration: EpIG members promote and are open to collaboration on the research projects listed on the webpage; contact information can be found there.
3. EpIG Steering Committee (EpIG Committee)
(a) Role and Responsibilities: The Steering Committee oversees and upholds collaboration rules within EpiG and data usage of EpIG-DB.
(b) Composition: Volunteer EpIG members currently form the committee; it consists of a custodian, a deputy custodian, and four members (with at least two funding members). The custodian leads the committee and oversees operations, assisted by the deputy custodian and the other members.
4. Procedures of data contribution
(a) Potential data contributors must accept the rules declared here when submitting a proposal to join the EpIG-DB to the steering committee. When the proposal is accepted, the representative of the dataset becomes a member of the EpIG consortium.
(b) In the EpIG consortium, each dataset is represented by a single natural person or by a custodian (in the case of collaborative databases). A custodian is an authorised representative of multiple contributors with a collaborative dataset. In the case of collaborative datasets, EpIG will only interact with the custodians or, in exceptional cases, their deputies.
(c) All data contributed to the EpIG-DB remains the intellectual property of data contributors and may be withdrawn by them at any time. This possibility does not affect data already released (for past projects) or used in ongoing and to be used in future projects (i.e., if an agreement to provide data for a particular project has already been reached, the data cannot be withdrawn once released). Data may be withdrawn at any time before its release.
(d) For collaborative datasets, it is the custodian’s responsibility to solve intellectual property rights and authorship rules within the group of contributors before the data set is contributed to EpIG-DB, a confirmation of the resolution in writing is expected.
(e) Contributing data to EpIG does not affect the rights of individual dataset owners or custodians to use the data in parallel for other purposes. However, once data is contributed, other members of EpIG within the framework of a project may correct or improve the datasets. These improvements should be done in collaboration with the contributors, but become part of the collective resource of EpIG-DB. Because of interoperability, versions containing these changes may be returned to contributors if they wish to receive them for private use until the full release of EpIG-DB. EpIG expects that data updates and corrections made by any member in their own datasets will be sent to the EpIG committee upon completion to replace previous, outdated versions.
5. Procedures of data use
(a) Rights and responsibilities of members: All EpIG members have the right to propose analytical (or other) projects using data from EpIG-DB by submitting a proposal to the EpIG Steering Committee. The members and non-members involved in a proposal are responsible for using the data according to the EpIG-DB rules. The proposal must include: (i) the applicant’s name and email, (ii) the names of all intended co-authors (inside and outside the EpIG Consortium), (iii) a preliminary title, (iv) a brief description of aims and methods, (v) the estimated time of manuscript submission, (vi) a specification of the data needed, (vii) an explicit statement of agreement with these rules, and (viii) funding sources.
(b) Data usage preference: In the case that several proposals overlap in scientific aims, the Steering Committee will propose a solution. If one or more overlapping proposals need to be rejected, early-career members, particularly those from institutions from the Global South, will have preferential use of the data, especially if pursuing a degree or a post-doc. Furthermore, EpIG-DB favours proposals and researchers who are willing to provide constructive input on the quantity and quality of the database, thus aiding its continuous improvement.
(c) Restrictions on data sharing: Under no circumstances can data received via the EpIG Committee be circulated to other parties, including co-authors not listed in the proposal, or posted online on publicly accessible sites (including electronic supplements to publications). Exceptions are allowed for subsets of the data, provided that all contributing database owners have agreed to their publication, and for aggregated data that do not allow the extraction of individual data points. Publicly marked data, as indicated in the metadata (e.g., data from GBIF), can be freely shared and used as stipulated.
(d) Data openness and restrictions: Each EpIG-DB data provider will define restriction levels, from entirely open to fully restricted (as indicated in the metadata), which shall be respected. In all cases, the intended publication of subsets or aggregated data, or any data with specific restrictions, requires the approval of the EpIG Committee. Although data openness mainly depends on the level of restriction decided by each dataset provider, data of threatened groups, according to Carmona Higuita et al. (2024), will be automatically restricted to ensure ethical management and protection of sensitive information. The degree to which data can be made open is subject to discussion with the EpIG Committee. Dataset providers should periodically update their information and restriction levels upon request from the EpIG Steering Committee.
- 5.1. Opt-in procedure:
(b) Opt-in phase: All EpIG members who have contributed data have the right to join a project as active co-authors by completing the corresponding opt-in form. This opt-in phase will last for a fixed period of one month, with flexible extensions allowed only in exceptional circumstances.
(c) Project leader responsibilities: The project leader(s) is(are) responsible for transparently communicating and preparing a preliminary list of project participants within two weeks after the opt-in phase. Simultaneously, a summary of the intended research for publication on the EpIG website must also be provided.
(d) Proposal evaluation and approval: The EpIG-DB Committee will review each proposal to ensure: (i) the applicant is eligible according to the rules, (ii) there is a reasonable link between the aims, expected outputs, and requested data, (iii) there is no conflict with planned future or ongoing projects using EpIG-DB, and (iv) compliance with the rules. If approved, the project will be granted the requested data, and its title and lead author(s) will be published on the EpIG website. If there is no evidence of progress in a project within two years after its approval, the lead author must request a renewal; otherwise, the project and the right to use EpIG-DB will expire.
(e) Database or general diversity manuscripts exception: The only exception to the opt-in procedure applies to publications primarily focused on describing the content (diversity) of the EpIG-DB or providing an update (strictly “diversity” or "database papers"). Only in these cases all data owners/providers and custodians in the EpIG consortium who contributed data at the time of paper preparation become co-authors unless they disagree (opt-out option).
(f) Adherence to good scientific publication practices: EpIG adheres to established good practices in scientific publication. By opting in, researchers agree to provide substantial intellectual and/or data input and accept accountability for all aspects of the work, including resolving any issues related to the accuracy or integrity of the work.
- 5.2. Collaboration process
(b) Resources and tools for effective collaboration: Researchers are encouraged to utilise collaborative tools and resources to facilitate open and reproducible research. Recommended tools include R Projects, RStudio, Git, and GitHub combined to collaborate and produce reproducible results which will aid in implementing reproducible computational work. Lead authors are encouraged to follow rules of fair research collaboration. To this end, the website of EpIG will be updated regularly with suggestions for tools and resources to optimise research networks, diversity and interpersonal skills.
(c) CRediT author statement and roles: The use of the CRediT author statement is encouraged to define and acknowledge the roles and contributions of all co-authors clearly. Lead authors must use this statement to ensure that all contributions are appropriately recognized and to facilitate transparency in authorship.
6. Authorship arrangements
(a) Intellectual Input: As a minimum requirement, the lead author(s) must circulate the first draft of the paper and the final manuscript at least three weeks before submission, considering more time during holiday or festivity periods. All preliminary co-authors must be invited to provide intellectual input at each stage to ensure adequate opportunity to review and provide feedback.
(b) Criteria for co-authorship: Opting-in does not automatically guarantee co-authorship, which is contingent on substantially contributing, as defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE, 2024). To qualify for co-authorship, individuals must meet at least two of the following criteria before submission of the manuscript:
- Substantial Contributions to the Work: Involvement in the conception, design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data, including significant input into research questions or methodology.
- Drafting or Revising the Manuscript: Drafting the manuscript or providing critical revisions that significantly influence its content and structure.
- Final Approval: Providing active approval of the final manuscript version to be published, ensuring its accuracy and integrity.
- Accountability: Being accountable for all aspects of the work, including addressing any issues related to the accuracy or integrity of the research, as requested by the leading author(s).
(c) Appeal process: Co-authors who believe they have been unjustly excluded from authorship have the right to appeal this decision to the EpIG committee. The appeal should be based on evidence of substantial contributions according to the guidelines indicated above and the principles of inclusivity and fairness. Leading author(s) not following the right of EpIG members to co-authorship, as established here, will be cancelled as EpIG members, and their publications will be subjected to scientific ethical screening.
(d) Co-authorship for custodians: Custodians representing collaborative databases or datasets should manage co-authorship offers according to their internal rules, ensuring fair allocation of co-authorship opportunities based on the contribution of data used in the project, a confirmation of the resolution in writing is expected.
7. Statement of Consent
Officially submitting data by a data owner or a dataset custodian for inclusion in EpIG-DB to the EpIG committee is considered an implicit agreement to these Governance and Data Property Rules. This includes the agreement to have their data stored (name, affiliation, contact information) in the EpIG repository. This data will be used solely for EpIG internal management, stored for the duration of the membership, and managed in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR"). Members also agree to have their names published on the EpIG member list on the EpIG website.
8. Versions and Amendments of These Rules
A majority of the Steering Committee or Consortium members can suggest changes to the EpIG-DB Rules. Proposed modifications will be subjected to an electronic vote lasting one month. Changes will be accepted if they receive a simple majority of votes from participating members.
References:
- Carmona-Higuita, M.J., Mendieta-Leiva, G., Gómez-Díaz, J.A. et al. Conservation status of vascular epiphytes in the neotropics. Biodivers Conserv 33, 51–71 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-023-02730-8
- CRediT where credit’s due. (2024). www.elsevier.com. https://www.elsevier.com/connect/credit-where-credits-due
- Defining the role of authors and contributors. ICMJE. (2024). https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html
- sPlot – The Global Vegetation Database. Version 2.2, 2018.10.15. Document: Governance and Data Property Rules of the sPlot Consortium. Retrieved 07, 30, 2024 from https://www.idiv.de/fileadmin/content/Files_sPlot/Documents/sPlot_rules_V2.1_20181001_draft.pdf
- Zotz, G., P. Weigelt, M. Kessler, H. Kreft, and A. Taylor. 2021. EpiList 1.0: a global checklist of vascular epiphytes. Ecology 102(6):e03326. 10.1002/ecy.3309
Hietz, P., Wagner, K., Nunes Ramos, F., Cabral, J. S., Agudelo, C., Benavides, A. M., Cach-Pérez, M. J., Cardelús, C. L., Chilpa Galván, N., Erickson Nascimento da Costa, L., de Paula Oliveira, R., Einzmann, H. J. R., de Paiva Farias, R., Guzmán Jacob, V., Kattge, J., Kessler, M., Kirby, C., Kreft, H., Krömer, T., … Zotz, G. (2022). Putting vascular epiphytes on the traits map. Journal of Ecology, 110, 340–358.
- Hennekens, S. M. (2015). Turboveg v.3 - A gateway to EVA and other databases. In: Chytrý, M., Zelený, D. & Hettenbergerová, E. 58th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science: Understanding broad-scale vegetation patterns – Abstracts. Masaryk University (p. 152). CZ: Brno.
If you wish to be part of EpIG or contribute to EpIG-DB, please get in touch with us by filling this form, we will get in touch ASAP.
EpIG is funded by:
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Design and content by Glenda Mendieta-Leiva and Derio Antonio Jiménez López and contributors (previously: Rosa María Villanueva Espinoza & Helena Einzmann).