Abstract
The International Geo Sample Number (IGSN) is a globally unique persistent identifier (PID) for physical samples that provides discovery functionality of digital sample descriptions via the internet. In this article we describe the implementation of a registration service for IGSNs of the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. This includes the adaption of the metadata schema developed within the context of the System for Earth Sample Registration (SESAR1) to better describe the complex sample hierarchy of drilling cores, core sections and samples of scientific drilling projects. Our case study is the COSC-1 expedition2 (Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides) supported by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program3 (ICDP). COSC-1 prompted for the first time in ICDP’s history to assign and register IGSNs during an on-going drilling campaign preserving the original parent-child relationship of the sample objects. IGSN-associated data and metadata are distributed and shared with the world wide community through novel web portals, one of which is currently evolving as part of ICDP’s collaborative efforts within the GFZ Potsdam and researchers from ICDP’s COSC clientele. Thus, COSC-1 can be considered as a ‘Prime-Example’ for ICDP projects to further improve the quality of scientific research output through a transparent process of producing and managing large quantities of data as they are normally acquired during a typical scientific drilling operation. The IGSN is an important new player in the general publication landscape that can be cited in scholarly literature and also cross-referenced in DOI-bearing scholarly and data publications.