Session Title: Interoperable Units of Measurement: International Developments

Session Organisers: Robert Hanisch

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Session Description:

Link to presentations and materials from the session

Link to the session recording: https://vimeo.com/743689718

Over the past two years considerable progress has been made toward interoperability for units of measurement.  The CODATA Task Group, Digital Representation of Units of Measurement (DRUM) and the CIPM Task and Expert Groups on the Digital SI Framework, work both together and independently to clarify the need for unambiguous representations for units of measurement, develop common data models for quantities and associated units, and deploy software tools and services that will assist the metrology community and research disciplines generally to achieve interoperability among diverse data sources.  Such interoperability is necessary to address the FAIR principles and support the CODATA Decadal Plan, which aims to help solve global challenges that can only be approached by integrating multidisciplinary data.

 

This session will summarize the international efforts to date, present the “universal metrology data model” now under development, and show a practical application of digital representation of units of measurement for the CODATA Fundamental Constants.  We will also present a “call to action,” currently being prepared for publication, to engage the research community through the members of the International Science Council.  Plans for future workshops of a more technical nature will also be described.

 

The tentative agenda is as follows:

 

●      General introduction, featuring Simon Hodson for CODATA and Daniel Hützschenreuter (PTB, Germany) for the CIPM Digital SI Task Group. (5+5)

●      Introduction to the CODATA Task Group on Digital Representation of Units of Measurement, Robert Hanisch (NIST, USA), DRUM chair. (10)

●      Introduction to CIPM Expert Group (topics include the CGPM Resolution and Joint Statement for the Digital-SI), Alan Steele (NRC ret., Canada), CIPM Digital SI Task Group member (10)

●      Technical overview of the joint “Universal Metrology Data Model,” Blair Hall (MSL, New Zealand), CIPM Digital SI Expert Group member. (15)

●      Use Case: Machine readable version of the CODATA Fundamental Constants, Pascal Heus (independent consultant, Canada), DRUM member. (10)

●      Summary of the “call to action paper,” how to get involved, Jeremy Frey (Southampton, UK), DRUM member. (10)

●      Outline of plans for technical workshops, Stuart Chalk (U. North Florida, USA), DRUM secretary. (5)

●      Discussion (20)

●      Total time:  90 minutes.

 

This session is complementary to two other sessions being proposed for SciDataCon:  Digital Unit Representation Systems and their Use in Infrastructure (Stuart Chalk) and BIPM Developments Towards Interoperable Metrology (Susanne Picard), which together with the current session comprise a virtual “units summit.”  These sessions address several of the SciDataCon 2022 themes:

 

●      Data to Improve our World: The role of data to address global challenges.  Interoperability of units of measurement is critical for multidisciplinary data integration.

●      Research Transparency, Accountability, and Reproducibility.  Units representation is similarly critical for reproducibility, since results cannot be properly validated without clear expression of the associated units of measurement.

●      Empowering and Enabling Society: Data Science and Stewardship Education and Data Literacy.  Increasing awareness of the role units play in clear communication of research results is essential for data science and data stewardship.

Additional Session Details:

Room:

Date:

June 20, 2022

Time:

2:30 - 04:00