Addressing scientific rigor in data analytics using semantic workflows

Abstract

New NIH grants require establishing scientific rigor, i.e. applicants must provide evidence of strict application of the scientific method to ensure robust and unbiased experimental design, methodology, analysis, interpretation and reporting of results. Researchers must transparently report experimental details so others may reproduce and extend findings. Provenance can help accomplish these objectives; analytical workflows can be annotated with sufficient information for peers to understand methods and reproduce the intended results. We aim to produce enhancements to the ontology space including links between existing ontologies, terminology gap analysis and ontology terms to address gaps, and potentially a new ontology aimed at integrating the higher level data analysis planning concepts. We are developing a collection of techniques and tools to enable workflow recipes or plans to be more clearly and consistently shared, improve understanding of all analysis aspects and enable greater reuse and reproduction. We aim to show that semantic workflows can improve scientific rigor in data analysis and to demonstrate their impact in specific research domains.