Achieving interoperability of data and metadata is one of the major challenges in our efforts to implement the FAIR principles [1] for research data. This is especially relevant for researchers working in interdisciplinary projects where terminology in adjacent scientific disciplines is either unknown or where terms are used with differing meaning.

To achieve a common understanding and harmonised language, which allows for data re-use in collaborations, established vocabularies and semantic standards should be adopted for data annotation. In many contexts however, such standards are non-existent, unfeasible to implement or scientifically unsuitable. This is true to some extend in the electron and ion microscopies where a number of initiatives are developing e.g. software tools and metadata schemas for specific applications. Here a harmonisation of terminology used in these efforts is required to ensure interoperability across the community.

In our presentation we will report on a broad community effort involving over 45 scientists from more than 22 institutions across Switzerland, Austria and Germany: coordinated by the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC) this EM glossary group [2] works towards a joint resource that aims to harmonise semantics in the field of electron and ion microscopies. We will describe how we achieve consensus on terms commonly used in electron and ion microscopies via a remote, collaborative workflow based on the platform GitLab, show first results and provide details on our implementation strategy.

Do you work in electron and/or ion microscopy or related data analysis? Follow us on twitter @helmholtz_hmc or tweet #EMGlossary. You want to get involved in the development and/or join our meetings? Send an email to hmc@fz-juelich.de or hmc-matter@helmholtz-berlin.de

[1] Wilkinson, M.D. et al. Scientific Data. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2016.18 (2016)
[2] EM Glossary GitLab repository: https://gitlab.hzdr.de/em_glossary